College of th Redwoods Athletics – Bob Seaman

Three former Arcata Tigers, including a pair of former NFL players, will be inducted into the College of the Redwoods Hall of Fame this month.

The class of three, all of whom played football for the Corsairs, includes Bob Seaman, Mike Cox and Owen Hooven. 

The talented trio will be recognized at halftime of CR’s football game against Yuba College at the Redwood Bowl on Oct. 21.

“It is a great honor for the CR Athletic Department to recognize each of these three individuals,” CR Athletic Director Bob Brown said. “Coach Bob Seaman and Mike Cox were not only great football coaches but great mentors to countless students and many coaches in the department, including myself throughout a combined 53 years of service to the college.

“Owen’s playing accomplishments speak for themselves in being recognized, but he too gave back to the college, student-athletes and his fellow coaches in so many positive ways during his coaching time at CR.”

Seaman graduated from Arcata High School in 1965 and followed his former high school coach — legendary CR coach and athletic director Jim McAuley — to CR.

After his playing career at CR last Cal Poly Humboldt (then Humboldt State), Seaman joined McAuley’s coaching staff.

He would go on to teach and coach at Del Norte and Eureka high schools before returning to CR for a faculty and coaching position in football and track and field, which lasted three decades from 1977 to 2007.

During his time at CR, Seaman would serve as the head football coach for eight seasons from 1992-1999 and under his leadership the team had three separate bowl game appearances in 1993, 1995, and 1996. 

Mike Cox

Seaman received the California Community College Coach of the Year award in 1996. Seaman has previously been inducted into the HSU hall of fame with his 1968 team and Arcata High School.  

Cox, meanwhile, played football at CR in 1972 and 1973 and was a member of the 1972 team that took home the California State Championship. 

In the 1973 season Cox was named MVP lineman of the Golden Valley Conference and first team All-State and was included on the JC Grid Wire All-American Team. 

After his time at CR, Cox played for Cal Poly Humboldt in 1974 and 1975 and had a brief stint with the NFL Denver Broncos in 1976. 

Cox started his coaching career at HSU as a defensive line coach in 1977. 

After three other coaching and teaching assignments at College of Sequoias, Taft and Merced College, Cox returned to CR in 1991 as faculty member, assistant football coach and track and field coach until his retirement in 2014. 

Owen Hooven

Cox has been previously inducted into the hall of fame for Arcata High School, Cal Poly Humboldt State, as a member of the CR 1972 state championship football team, the Taft College national championship team, and the California Community College Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. 

Hooven graduated from Arcata High School in 1984 with two letters in football, three in wrestling and one in track and field. 

After high school he continued playing football at CR in 1984-85 where he received second team all-conference honors in both years before transferring to Oregon State University on a scholarship. 

He received honorable mention all-Pac 10 his senior year.

Hooven was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1988, marking the start of his career with the NFL. 

During that season he blew out his shoulder while playing against the Los Angeles Rams and spent the remainder of the year on injured reserve. 

After being released from Dallas the following season Hooven made the final cuts of the 1990 Philadelphia Eagles.

In 1991, Hooven joined the Orlando Thunder for the inaugural year of the World League of American Football, finishing out his playing football career in 1992.    

Hooven accepted an assistant football coach position under Bob Seaman at CR in the fall of 1992 and coached until the end of the 1997 season.