Joseph Lilley
Joseph Lilley entered Liberty in 1990 and became one of the school’s finest athletes. In his freshman year, Joseph played junior varsity football and lettered as a quarterback and defensive back. During his first spring he played varsity baseball, compiled a .337 batting average, earned his varsity letter and was named to the All-Diablo Foothill Athletic League Honorable Mention Team as an infielder.
As a sophomore, Joseph played on the varsity football team, mostly at outside linebacker, and earned his letter. He again lettered in varsity baseball, hit .402 and was chosen to the All-DFAL Second Team as an infielder. As quarterback and defensive back on the 1992 football team, Joseph was selected All-DFAL First Team as a free safety and Second Team as a quarterback. As team captain and MVP, he passed for 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the spring of 1993, Joseph again lettered and enjoyed an outstanding baseball season, making the All-DFAL First Team as a catcher, batting .455 and earning MVP status. In the fall of 1993, as captain and MVP Joseph was named to the All-DFAL Honorable Mention Team as a quarterback, passing for 839 yards and seven touchdowns.
In the spring of 1994, Joseph was again named to the All-DFAL First Team in baseball as a utility player, sporting a .396 batting average and a 7-1 pitching record. He was again honored by his coaches and teammates as MVP and selected Liberty Yearbook Male Athlete of the Year. He graduated with a 3.80 GPA.
In the fall of 1994, Joseph entered Los Medanos College and made an immediate impact as a football player. He was named team captain and MVP and selected to the All-BVC Second Team team as a quarterback, throwing for 2,007 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the spring of 1995, Joseph played on the LMC baseball team and was selected to the All-BVC Second Team as an outfielder.
As happens in athletics, Joseph ran into some bad luck during his sophomore year, when he suffered a broken leg that ended his football season. If that weren’t enough bad luck, Joseph broke his thumb playing baseball and didn’t log enough playing time to be recognized for his contributions to the team. He came back to play his second football season in 1996, but the thumb injury affected his throwing. He was used in a reserve role and didn’t get much playing time.
In the fall of 1997, Joseph entered St. Mary’s College, where he played on the reserve unit in his first season. In 1998, he played on the St. Mary squad’s special teams and was named Special Teams Player of the Year as a punter. Joseph graduated from St. Mary’s College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and business administration. He lives in Oakley and works as a natural gas technician for PG&E.
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