Let's take a look at some of the offensive players who've worn the number two jersey for Fresno State Football. The number two, over the years, has become synonymous with big play, explosive wide receivers and running backs. This is not a comprehensive list, but it includes players in which I witnessed live and possess archival game footage. Jeff Tedford wore the number, but I was only a year old and didn't witness him play live.
Brock Smith (1986-1987)
This St. Louis, MO native had speed to burn. In his first game as a Bulldog, he introduced himself to the Red Wave by catching two 50+ yard passes from Kevin Sweeney. In his two seasons, he established himself as deep threat and was amongst national leaders in kickoff return average.
Brock's biggest moment came in his senior season against archrival San Jose State. With both teams playing suffocating defense, it was Smith who stepped up and brought the house down on special teams. In what is one of the most memorable and emotional moments in Bulldog Stadium history, Coach Jim Sweeney sought to fire up the crowd by waving a towel. The fans were whipped into a frenzy only to be momentarily silenced by a 75 yard TD pass by San Jose State's Mike Perez. Spartan coach Claude Gilbert mockingly waved a towel back at Sweeney. Undeterred, Smith took the ensuing kickoff to the house for 95 yard TD prompting Sweeney to respond by waving a jersey.
As a kid growing up in that locker room, I grew attached to Brock Smith. It wasn't just his football exploits, but the man himself. He always went out his way to share his Wendy's burgers with me, and when he left the program to take his shot in the pros, he gave me his pet parakeet as he couldn't take the bird on the road. I named him "Brockie".
Dwight Pickens (1988-1989)
The first time I met Dwight Pickens was in the summer of 1988. Dwight Pickens stepped onto the Fresno State campus for the first time and immediately began hanging with his fellow WR Andre Alexander, who happened to be my favorite player at the time. As a surprise, my dad invited Alexander over to the house to hang out, and along with him came Dwight Pickens. "Pick" was reserved, but had an aura about him. You could tell there was something special. As Alexander and I swam in the pool, watched Bruce Lee tapes and 1987 game highlights, Pickens just soaked it all in.
When the 1988 season began, I was obviously excited to see what Alexander would do, but had great anticipation of what Pickens could do. Dwight did not disappoint. In his first game as Bulldog, he caught a 27 yard TD from Mark Barsotti that commentator Randy Rosenbloom claimed not even Stephen Baker could have caught. High praise indeed.
In 1988, Pickens and Alexander formed the Big West's top receiver combo. The next season, with Alexander graduated, Pickens took the mantle as the next great Bulldog wide receiver and deep threat. Every week, Dwight filled the stat sheet with 50+ yard catches. Like Stephen Baker before him, he took the responsibility of returning punts and was amongst national leaders. It wasn't a matter of if Dwight would make a big play, but when. He was inevitable.
One of my favorite Pickens moments came in the 1989 Cal Bowl. Mark Barsotti unloaded a deep pass down the sideline. The Ball State DB read it well and thought he had an easy interception only to have Pickens leap over him to make the catch. As Pickens stumbled out of bounds, the first person to grab and hug him was my dad.
Anthony Daigle (1991-1993)
The 1989-1990 seasons saw the Red Wave marvel at the greatness of Aaron Craver. After departing to the NFL, I wondered how could Coach Sweeney and staff would replace such greatness. We had Lorenzo Neal returning, and Ron Rivers was a heralded recruit, so there was still much optimism about the Bulldog backfield. Though not as known as Neal or Rivers, Anthony Daigle soon became a fan favorite and a staple in the record books.
Anthony Daigle could do a bit of everything really well. He could run between the tackles. He had the speed to break big runs both inside and outside. He could block when called upon, and he is arguably the greatest pass catching RB in school history. As amazing as those attributes are, during his time at Fresno State, nobody could sniff the endzone like Daigle. Anthony finished his career as the all-time leader in total touchdowns with 44.
Probably my favorite Daigle memory was his final game in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day in 1993. Only fumbles kept the Dogs from beating a great Colorado team that day. Trent Dilfer threw the ball all over the yard that day. His most impressive throw was a 27 yarder into tight coverage to Daigle. More impressively, Daigle made the catch despite absorbing to crushing hits from Colorado defensive backs. In my grandparents' living room, I exclaimed loudly jumping high off the couch after seeing the play.
Bernard Berrian (1999-2003)
Bernard Berrian is arguably the most explosive player in Bulldog Football history. That is quite the statement considering the explosive players the Dogs have had over the years including Henry Ellard, Stephen Baker, Devon Wiley, etc.
It was an injury to the record-setting Rodney Wright in 2000 that gave Bernard the chance to emerge. He did not waste his chance ending that season as the team's leading receiver. He quickly developed a reputation for yards after the catch, explosively running down hill, and was rarely caught. He was forever etched in Bulldog Football lore as it was his two touchdowns in the second half of the Silicon Valley Classic that led an all-time great comeback.
In 2001, with Rodney Wright and Charles Smith healthy, along with Bernard, the Dogs boasted one of the best WR units in the nation. With David Carr at the helm, Berrian and Wright posted video game like numbers. Defensive backs week in and week out could only see the back of Berrian's jersey as he sped away.
Like Brock Smith before him, Bernard was deadly as a kickoff return specialist. In what is arguably his defining moment as a Bulldog, Berrian took the second half kickoff at Wisconsin to the house for a 96 yard touchdown. That TD spurred another Bulldog comeback and famous victory at Camp Randall Stadium. That day, during that game, I was in pregame preparations for my own game as a soccer player at Fresno Pacific University. I listened on the radio as I got dressed in our locker room. Many teammates told me to turn it off and focus on our game. I probably lost game time that day, but Berrian made it all worth it.
An unfortunate injury cost him the 2002 season, but he returned in 2003 as the team's leading receiver. Bernard went onto the NFL to play for the Vikings and Bears and made Bulldog fans swell with pride as he continued to be a explosive deep threat in the pros.
Clifton Smith (2004-2007)
The first time I saw Clifton Smith was on a local TV news sports highlight segment. I will never forget seeing Clifton, playing for Fresno's Edison High School, leap a few yards from the endzone, do a flip over a defender and stick the landing for a TD. Needless to say, I was very excited to see Smith become a Bulldog.
Smith was a showman. He never put up the gawdy numbers like many other Bulldog greats, but every time he touched the ball, there was anticipation of greatness in the air. You just knew that at any moment he would bring the Red Wave to their feet. Whether it was a punt return, kickoff return, hand off or screen pass, Smith was a threat.
In his senior season in 2007, Smith was named team MVP. Other players had better stats, but it was his inspiration that powered the Dogs that year. He capped his Bulldog career with a Bowl Game MVP performance vs. Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets could not stop Smith catching the screen pass all game. The commentators mentioned he wore a Batman shirt under his jersey, and every catch he made, he ran like a superhero. After a game sealing long TD run, memorably, Smith found ESPN's camera and asked the audience to look into his eyes and tell him what they see. He said he sees greatness.
Smith took his show to the NFL, and in his rookie season, was named to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist.
Seyi Ajirotutu (2006-2009)
Ajirotutu played "big boy" football. He often looked like the big brother man handling younger brothers. Seyi emerged his sophomore season in 2007. It was that season when he became one of Tom Brandstater's top targets. Throughout his tenure, Ajirotutu became known for physical play and acrobatic catches.
Interestingly, many of his great highlights came against then-BCS, now Power-5 opponents. He always stepped up when facing the likes of Texas A&M, Kansas State, Rutgers, UCLA, Illinois and Wisconsin.
In the 2008 opener at Rutgers, the broke the game open with a 77 yard catch and an acrobatic 27 yarder. Both catches set up Bulldog touchdowns and each time he burned future New England Patriot Super Bowl winner Jason McCourty.
I will never forget his performance vs. Rutgers. I fondly remember sitting in the living room of the first house I ever owned and leaping off the couch when he "Mossed" McCourty.
Zane Pope (2019-2022)
Clutch and dependable are two words that describe Zane Pope. In a WR room that included Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Josh Kelly and Nikko Remigio, it was Pope that often saved the day. When Jake Haener, and Jorge Reyna before that, needed a clutch play, many times it was Pope who delivered.
In 2019, Pope emerged as the Dogs leading receiver. As the aforementioned WRs joined the fold, the Dogs' receiving corps was a force to be reckoned with. Though not receiving the notoriety of his fellow receivers, it was Pope's performance vs. San Diego State in 2022 that kick started the Dog's season that saw them win 9 in a row and end the year with a top 25 ranking.
The game looked bleak as the Aztecs were dominant, but the returning Haener and Pope kept the Dogs in it with clutch third down conversions and TD. As time wound down, even the commentators were skeptical, but after a Jordan Mims TD cut the deficit to 5 with a minute left, Pope converted a 2 point conversion and then recovered the ensuing onside kick to set up Nikko Remigio's winner.
Much of the Red Wave departed the stadium that night. I watched at home and, I am embarrassed to admit I changed the channel in the third quarter. My mom went to the game and, like many, left early. She made it home with about one minute left, just after his 2 point conversion. She barged in and asked if I was still watching. I said no, but she exclaimed to turn it back on. To my surprise, I switched it on as Pope recovered the onside kick. As many Bulldog players reminded us that night, it ain't over til it's over.
Check out the great players who've worn number two for Fresno State Football in this YouTube video.
