SAN JOSE – George Henderson – better known as Krazy George – has led crowd chants for many of the Bay Area’s favorite sports teams since the 1960s.
His signature drum and funky hairdo are favorites for sports fans in the region. His uncanny ability to rile up a home crowd still runs strong, even at the age of 80.
Henderson cemented his legacy with Bay Area fans years ago but on Saturday, the iconic cheerleader will be celebrated for his 50 years working with the San Jose Earthquakes – one of the first pro teams that gave him his start as a professional cheerleader.
“I just really appreciate the love and the thought,” Henderson told the Bay Area News Group on Thursday.
“I think I’ve been a really integral part of the team with the fans. I think they love their earthquakes more, or get more involved because of my contribution. To look up and see five to six thousand people in front of me smiling when I’m doing a cheer, it’s just a wonderful honor.”
To celebrate Henderson’s accomplishments, the Quakes are giving Krazy George wigs to the first 5,000 fans at their home finale Saturday night against Real Salt Lake (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+).
Henderson’s roots as a cheerleader started when he was a student-athlete on the judo team at San Jose State. He garnered a reputation for his crazy antics that got crowds to cheer louder at other games.
He found his first job as a professional cheerleader for the California Golden Seals hockey team a few years after graduating.
In 1974, Henderson was hired by the Quakes for their inaugural season.
That’s where his Krazy George moniker started to take shape.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Krazy George, aka George Henderson, leads a cheer during the San Jose Earthquakes game against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Earning $35 a game, Henderson built a reputation for making arenas almost unhearable by leading chants throughout matches. According to Henderson, opposing teams often complained to league officials that Quakes’ crowds were too loud and interfered with the game.
Henderson’s time in San Jose garnered him national notoriety. Henderson made stops in Kansas City and Houston as a professional cheerleader with the Chiefs and Oilers. His resume includes working for over 30 professional and college sports teams.
But his biggest contribution to the sports world came in 1981 during an Oakland A’s ALCS game against the New York Yankees.
In a nationally televised game, Henderson led the Oakland Coliseum crowd in a celebration which is now known as The Wave.
According to Henderson, he first tested out the crowd celebration when he was at a hockey game in Denver, something he said he started by accident.
But after the rest of the country saw The Wave on national television, the celebration spread to arenas across the country and eventually around the world.
“I never realized it was going around the country,” Henderson said. “I never thought about it. I just figured I invented it and perfected it. So, I sometimes say I invented it in Oakland but really I just debuted it to the world.”
In recent years, Henderson has come back to his roots and has been a more frequent face at games in the Bay Area.
Henderson continues to cheer on San Jose State’s athletic teams as well as being a mainstay at PayPal Park, home of the Quakes. Last week, Henderson attended the A’s final home game in Oakland.
In his 50 years as a professional cheerleader, Henderson said he hasn’t changed from when he first started. He credits his ability to “get in the zone” for drawing such interest from fans.
“That’s the secret of my success,” Henderson said. “I cheer like a fan wants to cheer. … I do the proper cheer at the proper time because fans want to do it.”
When he was first approached by the Quakes’ to plan Saturday’s celebration, Henderson admitted he was a bit puzzled as to why he was chosen to be honored. But after seeing what the team had in store for him, Henderson became ecstatic – especially about the wig giveaway.
“Imagine there’s going to be 5,000 people almost as good looking as me at that game,” Henderson said. “They are going to appreciate what a professional male model really feels like when they’re wearing that wig.”
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A 50-year career in most businesses means retirement is around the corner, but for Henderson that’s not exactly the case.
The South Bay native said he still loves what he does and hasn’t been approached about retirement.
However, he did give an age on when he would officially walk away from cheering on San Jose State.
“I think a nice number sounds like 99,” he said.
Krazy George Henderson pounds his drum during the San Jose State vs. Oregon State game at San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
