The San Diego Sports Association will induct former Charger Eric Weddle into the Breitbard Hall of Fame Monday while also honoring San Diego State’s basketball team.
The awards are part of the 76th annual Salute to the Champions, in which the past year’s most memorable performances are spotlighted, while local greats receive Hall of Fame kudos.
Weddle played for the Chargers in San Diego, followed by stints in Baltimore and with the Los Angeles Rams. During his 14-year career, he made six Pro Bowls and was part of the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2022. The retired safety now coaches the Rancho Bernardo High football team.
The other two Hall of Fame honorees are former SDSU running back Donnel Pumphrey and Terri Bamford, the long-time girls basketball coach at La Jolla Country Day who has guided her teams to four state championships.
Two San Diego college teams reached national championship games last year, and both will be honored. The postseason run for the SDSU men’s basketball team led to the Final Four, where Lamont Butler’s buzzer beater carried them into the title game, in which they fell to UConn.
The Point Loma Nazarene women’s soccer team did them one better, winning the school’s first national title with a 1-0 victory in the NCAA Div. II tournament.
Butler is among those receiving Star of the Year honors, as is Nikki Ross, of the PLNU women’s soccer team.
Professional Stars of the Year include the Padres’ Ha-Seong Kim and San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, whose eponymous foundation will be honored with the Community Champion award.
The gala is set for the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at 5:30 p.m. Check online for ticket information and the full list of honorees.
