Tom Ables has been there through thick and thin for San Diego State football.
He was there when SDSU played its first game as a Division I program.
He was there when SDSU defeated No. 13 Florida State in 1977 in what was, for a long time, the biggest win in program history.
He was there last December when the Aztecs defeated the University of Houston, 31-10, in the Las Vegas Bowl, even taking a picture with FBS career rushing leader Donnel Pumphrey after the game.
As much as Ables loved SDSU athletics, SDSU athletics loved him just as much back.
Ables passed away on Monday, Oct. 15, at the age of 91.
He most recently attended the team’s game against Boise State University on Saturday, his 788th career Aztec football game.
His constant presence around the team will be missed by head coach Rocky Long.
“We kind of got used to having him around,” Long said. “He was at almost every game. Up until the last year or so, he traveled with us in the airplane so he was around all the time. He was more like a coaching staff member than he was a fan because up until this year he was always on the sidelines, too.”
Ables’ SDSU fandom began in 1946 after he got out of the Navy and enrolled at San Diego State College. He would miss only six of the next 794 Aztecs football games, two of which came this season.
“He might be the best fan there ever was,” Long said. “He’s for sure one of the best Aztec fans there ever was.”
The football team’s next game is against Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 21, and Long said he is counting on Ables to continue helping out from above.
“We’re going to miss him and hopefully he’ll look over us because we’ve got a very tough game this week,” Long said. “Maybe he’ll give us a little extra push from up there and maybe he’ll get us over the hump.”
