‘Legends of the Bowl’ to return for season’s final home game

The biggest gathering of former Yale athletes in the university’s history will take place at the Yale Bowl, when the “Legends of the Bowl” return to the stadium for the Bulldogs’ final home game of the season, against Princeton, on Saturday, Nov. 15.

As part of the Yale Bowl’s centennial celebration, the Athletics Department selected five all-era teams featuring a total of 67 former Yale football players. A different era squad was announced during the week of the first five home contests.

The All-Yale Bowl group includes 47 All-Americans and 18 NFL players, one of whom became an NFL head coach. These Bulldogs accumulated nine Super Bowl appearances and six NFL Championship rings.

To date, 43 of the former players have accepted the invitation to be honored on the field at halftime of the 12:30 p.m. contest between the Bulldogs and Princeton. Click here for ticket and parking information.

Many of the alumni players will be available to meet fans in the Webster Bank/Yale Bowl 100 Tent outside portal 20 on the morning of the game, as soon as the gates open.

Six of the returning “Legends of the Bowl” are from Connecticut: Bob Blanchard ’61 and Rich Diana ’82 (Hamden), John Pagliaro ’78 (Derby), Chris Hetherington ’96 (North Branford), Ed McCarthy ’07 (Fairfield), and Mike McLeod ’09 (New Britain).

The Yale Bowl, the mecca of outdoor sporting events for much of the first half of the 20^th century, was the first stadium in the country to surround the entire playing surface with seating and the largest in the world at the time it was built. Its anniversary campaign has received national attention, especially in light of the current Yale team’s winning season.

A list of the honored players follows.

100th Anniversary All-Yale Bowl Team (By Era)

1914-37

Black, Clinton ’17s, G

Booth, Albie ’32s, HB

Caldwell, Bruce ’28, HB

Frank, Clint ’38, HB

Gates, Artemus ’18, T

Kelley, Larry ’37, E

Mallory, Bill ’28, FB

Milstead, Century ’26, T

Pond, Ducky ’25, HB

1938-58

Barzilauskas, Fritz ’47m, G 

Coker, Gene ’58, FB

Jackson, Levi ’50, FB

Kroll, Alex ’59, C

Lopata, Paul ’57e, E

Loucks, Dean ’57, S

McGill, Denny ’57e, HB

Walker, Paul ’46e, E

Winterbauer, Dick ’58, QB

1958-77

Balme, Ben ’61, G

Blanchard, Bob ’61, FB

Carfora, Steve ’78, G

Dowling, Brian ’69, QB

Fencik, Gary ’76, WR

Gallagher, Jim ’71, DE

Gee, Kyle ’69, OT

Green, Rudy ’75, HB

Hill, Calvin ’69, RB

Jauron, Dick ’73, RB

Mercein, Chuck ’65, FB

Pagliaro, John ’78, RB

Pyle, Mike ’61, C

Singleton, Tom ’61, QB

Staffieri, Vic ’77, OG

Weinstein, Bruce ’69, TE

Will, Hardy ’61, C

Wolfe, Ken ’61, HB

1978-97

Athanasia, Dean ’88, TE

Crowley, Bill ’79, LB

Czinger, Kevin ’81, MG

Diana, Rich ’82, RB

Grieve, Curt ’82, WR

Hetherington, Chris ’96, QB

Hill, Ken ’80, RB

Leone, Fred ’82, DE

Reese, Jon ’90, LB

Rogan, John ’82, QB

Rohrer, Jeff ’82, LB

Rudolph, Jeff ’89, OG

Ryan, Kelly ’88, QB

Skoronski, Bob ’79, DT

Spagnola, John ’79, TE

Streit, Clint ’79, DE

Tumpane, Tim ’80, LB

1997-Present

Abare, Bobby ’09, LB

Carr, Robert ’05, TB

Cowan, Alvin ’05, QB

Hennessey, Rory ’05, OT

Hollander, Brandt ’08, NT

Johnson, Eric ’01, WR

Lawrie, Nate ’04, TE

McCarthy, Ed ’07, OT

McLeod, Mike ’09, RB

Merrill, Than ’01, DB

Murawczyk, Mike ’01, K

Plumb, Ralph ’05, WR

Tomich, Todd ’01, DB

Walland, Joe ’00, QB