Langdon Lea

Bio

He would become Princeton's first "official" coach, but Langdon Lea is best remembered for being one of Princeton's great players of the 19th Century. The man his teammates called "Biffy" became the cornerstone of the Tigers defense in an era when defense dominated the sport. Lea would garner the first of his three All-America awards as a sophomore in 1893, leading the Orange and Black to an untainted 11-0-0 record. Swift, aggressive and agile, Lea roamed the field from his end or tackle position to put the brakes on a runaway enemy ball carrier. A clever blocker and tackler, Lea captained the Princeton team which finished 10-1-1 in 1895. Arch rival Yale was the only club to stop the Tigers that season, downing Princeton 20-10. Up until 1901, players or alumni served as coaches of the Princeton teams. That year, school officials decided to name Lea as their first formal coach. He promptly led the team to a 9-1-1 record. However, his term ended after that season. Fifty years after he played his last game for the Tigers, he was still being named to All-Time Eastern teams. In four seasons, Lea anchored a defense that posted 35 shutouts in 47 games.

Career Highlights

• 1895 Consensus All-America
• 1894 Consensus All-America
• 1893 Consensus All-America