First AWC quarterback dies at 63

In the Arizona Western College football annals, Francis "Pete" Blake Jr. will always be remembered as a pioneer and the first quarterback the program ever had.

His coach at the time, Jack Watson, remembers the hero Blake went on to become after his time at AWC.

After his second year as a Matador in 1965, Blake declined a student deferment from military service. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and severely wounded in Vietnam in 1967, earning the Silver Star and Purple Heart during his tour of duty.

Blake died from a heart attack at age 63 on Friday at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Prescott. He will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

"He was quite an athlete and a great man," Watson "He was very special, all of them were. Those guys pioneered this program.
"It was a sad day , but he was a great person and someone that I'm very proud of."

After Vietnam, Blake transferred to Western New Mexico University, where he played two more seasons, despite shrapnel-wounded legs from Vietnam. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in education.

Blake married his high school sweetheart in 1966. The couple lived in Silver City, N.M., Parker, San Manuel and Holbrook before settling down in Needles, Calif., in 1984.

Blake taught in the Needles School District until he retired in 2004. He was also a varsity head football coach and coached baseball and basketball.

Watson said he kept in touch with Blake over the years directly and indirectly. Blake came to Yuma to visit with him last year.

"When Pete Found out I was back volunteering with the baseball program he came down, spent some time with me, talked with me," Watson said. "He told me he finally got his disability after all these years. He had fought the bureaucratic system and finally got his full disability from being wounded. We had a great talk and I brought him up to date with as many of the guys I had seen."

During Blake's second year at AWC he moved to defensive end with the emergence of incoming freshman Glen Ezell at quarterback. Ezell would go on to become the first All-American from AWC, making the team in baseball as a catcher. He is now the director of player personnel for the Detroit Tigers and remained close friends with Blake until his death.

"He was a great American, and as a veteran I fully appreciate those guys," Watson said of Blake. "He was truly a hero."