Cal Football: Sirmon Father-Son Game Prompts Memories of 2nd-Grade Destroyers

Saturday was the first time in 15 years Peter and Jackson Sirmon teamed up on game day.

Cal linebacker Jackson Sirmon has been practicing under his dad, defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, since spring practice and all through fall camp.

But on Saturday at Memorial Stadium against UC Davis, father and son joined forces in an actual game for the first time in 15 years.

“He was my flag football coach for a year in the second grade,” Jackson said. “We were the Destroyers. When you let second graders name your team, that’s the kind of name you come up with.”

The Bears’ defense didn’t exactly destroy UC Davis on Saturday, but Cal won 34-13 and the defense performed well.

Jackson Sirmon, who came to Cal from Washington for his final collegiate season so he could play for his dad, said their first shared game-day experience was great.

Peter Sirmon is naturally somewhat different on the sidelines of a football field than at home.

“He’s in coach mode,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if there’s a ton of give and take. It’s more he’s still my coach. He gives me stuff to do and I do it. That’s the give and take.

“We talk about what’s going on out there. On the field during game day and even in practice, it’s a coach and player kind of relationship, primarily.”

Jackson had a team-best eight tackles and a pass breakup against the Aggies. He and fellow inside linebacker Nate Rutchena, who had four tackles including a tackle for loss, both got high marks from Peter Sirmon, who also is their position coach. Their production was “where it needs to be,” Peter says in the video below.

“He did some things that I thought were really positive - I thought Jack tackled well and he fit the run game really well,” Peter said. “Then Nate came in and he had three or four tackles. Both of those guys are valuable players for us.”

Jackson Sirmon had a team-high eight tackles plus a pass breakup

Nate Rutchena had four tackles and one tackle-for-loss

Jackson Sirmon thought he played pretty well Saturday, but he was a far more versatile player as a second-grader.

“We all did everything,” he said. “I was playing quarterback, receiver, linebacker safety.”

He said his dad’s attention to detail made the Destroyers “probably the most well-organized flag football team in the area.”

His second-grade team actually played against a schedule of third-grade opponents, and the Destroyers lost twice early in the season.

“But we ended up playing those two teams at the end of the year and blew them out of the water,” Jackson said. “It was a fun year.”

Cover photo of Cal linebacker Jackson Sirmon by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo