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Kellerman head shot

Roberto Kellerman

  • Class
    1956
  • Induction
    1988
  • Sport(s)
    Men's Soccer
Roberto Kellerman was born on October 2, 1932 in Prievidsa, Czechoslovakia of Nicaraguan ancestry, and emigrated to the United States in February, 1948. He was naturalized on August 31, 1953 at the age of 20. He attended USF in the class 1956, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management. 

The 1954 USF soccer season had been designated as a “rebuilding year” on the Hilltop, but thirty eager, determined Dons proved the prognosticators wrong. Coach Gus Donaghue praised his team’s never-say-die attitude: “The spirit to come from behind was well exemplified in our first game of the year against City College, when we were behind 4-0 and recovered enough to almost win (USF Athletics).”

Though their 56-game winning streak in conference play was snapped by San Francisco City College in that first game – a bitter 5-4 loss - it would be the only defeat of the season, as Coach Donoghue’s troops went 10-0-1 over the final 11 games, and in the process won their seventh straight Northern California Intercollegiate Soccer Conference title.

USF gained revenge against City College - beating the Rams 2-1 in the NCISC Championship game. The Dons then finished off the season with a 3-1 victory in Los Angeles over UCLA to capture the Far West Soccer Championship. Four players were named to the All-Conference team: George Durschlag, Roberto Kellerman, Hector Lamas, and Abe Mordokovics.

Kellerman was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988 for soccer, along with Robert Braghetta, George Durschlag, and Gus Donaghue.
 
 
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