John Paye was born March 30th, 1965 in Palo Alto, California. Paye was a football and basketball starter at Stanford, (playing quarterback for football, and point guard for basketball). He became the last person in the NCAA division 1 to start in two different sports. Paye was an all around athlete in high school and lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. In basketball he helped the team win the division II (CIF) championship at Menlo High School during his Senior season of 1983. In 1984 he would share playing time at quarterback with Fred Buckly at Stanford, and in the 1986-7 seasons he became the sole starter for the team. Paye lead the Stanford Cardinal to the Gator Bowl during his Senior season, but unfortunately lost against the Clemson Tigers 28-21, (he did not get to play due to a shoulder injury). Paye was drafted tenth round in the 1987 NFL draft to the San Francisco 49ers where he had no regular or postseason appearances. After his football career Paye went to coach his sister Kate Paye, and the Menlo girls basketball team, guiding them to win three CIF Division V State Championships 1989-1991. Today Paye is a boys basketball coach at Menlo high school.