A 1973 graduate of Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, Roth led Grossmont College of El Cajon to an undefeated season and state title in 1974, and transferred to University of California, Berkeley in 1975. Originally a back-up, he started the fourth game of the 1975 season, and led the Golden Bears to the Pac-8 title as co-champions. Cal led the nation in total offense, gaining the same yardage both passing and rushing with 2,522 yards each. In 1976, Roth was a pre-season favorite for the Heisman Trophy. The season was more tumultuous, and towards the end of the year Roth's performance started to drop, but he was named an All-American and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. After the season ended, he revealed that halfway through the season he had been diagnosed with terminal melanomaapparently the metastasis of a mole removed from his face several years earlier. Despite his deteriorating physical condition, he honored his commitments to play in both the Hula Bowl and the Japan Bowl. According to a friend's reminiscence, during the Japan Bowl festivities Roth had agreed to sit for a thirty-minute autograph session; but finding, at the end of the scheduled time, hundreds of children still waiting, he continued to sign until every child had an autograph, after which he left the building and vomited.. By mid-February he was in the hospital, where Roth died at age 21 on February 19, 1977.
Honors
opened the 1977 NFL Draft in early May with a moment of silence for Roth. Posthumously, Roth received the Berkeley Citation in 1977, awarded to those "whose attainments significantly exceed the standards of excellence in their fields and whose contributions to UC Berkeley are manifestly above and beyond the call of duty." In 2000, he was inducted into the University of California Athletic Hall of Fame. Several awards are named for him, including the Joe Roth Award, for the high school player in the San Diego area who best demonstrates courage; the Joe Roth Memorial Award, given to the San Diego Countyjunior college football player who best exemplifies high academic standards and athletic excellence; the Joe Roth Memorial Award, which was given as the MVP award for the Japan Bowl; and the Joe Roth Award, given to the Cal football player who best demonstrates courage, attitude, and sportsmanship. Cal football designates each year's home game against either USC or UCLA as the Joe Roth Memorial Game. Cal wore throwback uniforms similar to those the Bears wore during Roth's career for the 2007 Roth Memorial Game and will continue to do so, starting 2017. A documentary, Don't Quit: The Joe Roth Story, was released in 2015.
