Outside the main office in the gymnasium is a glass case full of trophies, photographs, and a shrine for a BC legend named Speedy “The Jet” Black.
The dramatic setup of the dedication has a photograph of a large defensive back charging through opposition with his head down.
It has a placard with the name, a graphic of a supersonic jet, the slogan “Everything for the Team”, and the ominous dates “1982-2006” printed on it.
It has a pom-pom which looks to have been left behind by some forlorn cheerleader.
And it has a beat up, sweat-stained, torn Bakersfield College football hat.
Like many football stories, the tale of Speedy “The Jet” Black is entertaining and unconventional, and contains a message.
“I had that hat for 10 years,” said Athletic Complex Manager Glen Fields.
“In 2006, I got a new hat, so the shrine is for the death of the hat.”
Fields explains that he had been looking at the BC Hall of Fame and wondering why there were no classified employees in it.
He said he wondered how one got into the BC Hall of Fame.
In the end, he took measures into his own hands and constructed the shrine for his retired hat.
The placard and jet design, he says, were made by a friend in the printing office, the dates on it are the time that Fields has been at BC so far.
The football player in the picture is actually Gino Valpredo, a running back on the 1988 BC championship team.
“He runs Luigi’s on 19th street now, and that’s some good Italian food,” quips Fields.
As for the name, he says that every great back has a memorable name, “I used Black, because I’m black,” he says pointing to his arm.
“Speedy sounded like an old time name.
“Nowadays his name would be Def Dog.”
He describes the whole thing as a spoof, “just to see if one of these old guys who used to play here would notice.”
But there is more to this gag than just “breaking the monotony.”
Fields tells of his frustration about the lack of recognition that classified employees receive.
“Everything you see here, every event you see, someone set that up.”
He feels that the one day a year classified employees receive for recognition is nice, but not enough. “You know that in 25 years here, I’ve never had my name in the paper?”
Even though he, and the other classified staff may be a behind the scenes force, he says they still hope to leave some sort of legacy.
“I had nothing to show I was here.”
However, now through his ingenuity and wit, Fields has carved out his own type recognition.
“The people who know me know who’s hat that is,” he says, holding the hat up with a grin on his face.
Football legends are not born, they are made.
And in some instances, these legends are made on the head of a particularly intriguing man.