University of the Pacific

Earl Klapstein played three years of college football for famed head coach Amos Alonzo Stagg from 1941 to 1943, gaining national prominence his senior year as an All-Coast Selection on the Pacific team that was ranked fifth in the nation with a 7-2 record. 

Klapstein served in the Navy following his graduation from the College of the Pacific. A 22nd-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1944, Klapstein was the first COP player ever to be drafted by a professional team. He suited up for the Eagles for the 1947 season before transitioning to the coaching ranks. 

Among other coaching jobs, Klapstein served as an assistant for the Green Bay Packers and was a professional scout for eight years.