Cardinal Pride: 5 Unforgettable Athletes From Santa Cruz High School

Sports run deep in Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz High School has long been at the heart of it. It’s no surprise some standout talent once wore the Cardinal uniform. Today we're celebrating five unforgettable athletes from Santa Cruz High School who made a name for themselves well beyond the hometown field.

1. Trent Dilfer – NFL Quarterback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens)

A native of Santa Cruz, Dilfer starred in football at Santa Cruz High School before continuing his career at Fresno State University. He was selected in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL across five teams. Dilfer reached the pinnacle of professional football as the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV championship team. Following his retirement in 2008, he transitioned into sports media, serving as an NFL analyst for ESPN until 2017. (Sources: SantaCruzDJR, ESPN, FresnoAHOF)

2. Terri Schneider – Collegiate & Professional Endurance Athlete

Considered one of Santa Cruz High’s most outstanding female athletes of her era, Schneider dominated in cross country and track, setting school records and competing at regional and Nor-Cal levels. She went on to compete internationally in triathlon and adventure racing, including Ironman and Eco-Challenge events, and later worked as a coach, speaker and sport psychologist. (Sources: SCHS Athletics Hall of Fame, TerriSchneiderBiz, Mountaineers)

3. Len Noren – PCL First Baseman

Noren was a standout three-sport athlete at Santa Cruz High, earning All-CCAL honors in basketball and baseball and captaining the football, basketball and baseball teams in 1945. He also excelled in track. After high school, he played Triple-A baseball, ending his playing career as the San Francisco Seals’ first baseman in the Pacific Coast League and later managing in the minor leagues. (Sources: SCHS Athletics Hall of Fame, BaseballReference)

4. Larry Griffin – Multi-Sport Athlete

A high-scoring basketball star at Santa Cruz High, Griffin also excelled in track (long jump, hurdles) and football. He played college basketball at Cabrillo and Oregon Tech, set conference records, signed with the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) as an attendee of rookie camp and finished his athletic career with the Fabulous Magicians, a professional basketball team. (Sources: SCHS Athletics Hall of Fame)

5. Dick Voris – NFL & Collegiate Coach

Voris was a three-year starter for the Santa Cruz High football team and participated in track and golf. After college, he enjoyed a lengthy coaching career, including assistant and coordinator roles in the NFL (Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and head coach at the University of Virginia before retiring in 1976. (Sources: SCHS Athletics Hall of Fame, ProFootballHistory, HartnellCollege)

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