Hall of Athletic Honor
Nicknamed "Poker Face" for his deadpan demeanor on the court and the diamond, Lang brought not only a great amount of talent, but also a calming maturity to his Bullet basketball and baseball squads. Arriving at Gettysburg in 1950 after a three-year stint in the Army, he soon became one of the stars of basketball coach Hen Bream's legendary "Shooting Range."
After flashing his scoring potential on the 1950-51 freshman basketball team, he jumped into the varsity rotation the following year and tallied in double digits on eight occasions. He averaged 13.1 points per game as a junior in 1952-53, striking for a career-best 29 points in a 102-76 victory over Mt. St. Mary's as the Bullets opened the season with seven consecutive victories.
As a team captain in 1953-54, he averaged 13.9 points per game and guided Gettysburg to a 14-8 record against a schedule that included Temple, Virginia and Penn State. After his senior campaign, he was selected as a Little All-America honorable mention and named one of Gettysburg's ten "All-Time Great Basketball Players."
He also enjoyed three successful seasons with the Bullet baseball team, batting a team-best .368 in 1951 and going on to sign a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., he graduated from Gettysburg in 1954 with a degree in health and physical education.
