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Elmo Natali was a star running back on the football team in the early 1950's after transferring from Virginia Tech. Natali rushed for 1,035 yards in 1951 while leading the Vulcans to a 7-2 season which included a post-season appearance in the Pythian Bowl against Lenoir-Rhyne, which is the school's only post-season football action besides PSAC championship games. Also a standout punt and kick returner, Natali was the first running back in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. Natali's all-around effective play helped the '51 Vulcans average 24.4 points a game, three times more than the team's output the previous season. He also averaged 41.6 yards a punt and wowed the fans with a 62-yard punt in the Pythian Bowl. In 1952 Natali gained a single-game, career-high 163 yards in a 27-21 win at Carnegie Tech before injuries forced him to miss the final three games.
Truly California's original All-American, Natali's career at California, serving as a teacher, coach and administrator. In 1992, Natali retired as Cal's Vice-president of Student Development and concluded an unprecedented era at Cal that spanned six decades. Originally from Monessen, PA, and Monessen High School, Natali and his wife Norma still make their home in California. The couple has three children, Alan, Jamie and Jeanne.
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