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Hall of Athletic Honor

William J. McGowan

  • Class
    1970
  • Induction
    1989
  • Sport(s)
    Football
A split end in the pro-set offense, he caught 100 passes for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns during his brief two-year varsity career. He was the leading receiver in the Middle Atlantic Conference university division and made first team All-Conference both years, and was elected to the Lutheran Brotherhood All-America team.

He set several pass receiving records which stood at the time of his induction. They include number of receptions in a game (10) and in a season (57), and touchdown catches in a game (3). In 1968, he caught the winning pass against Bucknell, helped quarterback Herb Ruby set three passing records in a 19-10 win over Lafayette and hauled in four passes for 47 yards in a 16-14 victory over Temple. His finest hour came in the 1969 Lehigh game. With the Bullets trailing 26-7 with 5:13 to play, he and Ruby teamed to set up one rapid-fire touchdown after another and then scored the winning TD with seconds to play for a 26-24 victory. He finished the game with 10 receptions for 178 yards.
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