Gilbert Lea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Vero Beach, Florida, U.S.
| Princeton Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 16, 1912 Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 4, 2008 (aged 95) Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Princeton (1933–1935) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Other information | |
| Military Service WW II | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Service years | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | |
| Awards | |
Gilbert Lea (December 16, 1912 – May 4, 2008) was an American football player, army veteran, advertising executive, and publisher.
Lea was born in 1912 at Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.[1] His father was Langdon Lea, a three time consensus All-American tackle at Princeton who later served as head football coach at Princeton and the University of Michigan. A history of Princeton football notes that Gilbert Lea was a "tiger from birth," as his father raised him to play football "as he had ... all out."[2]
Lea attended the Montgomery School and later St. Paul's School, a private preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire. At St. Paul's Lea was captain of the football team and received the Gordon Medal as the school's best all-around athlete.[1]
Princeton
Following in his father's footsteps, Lea became a star of the Princeton football teams from 1933 to 1935. He played at the end position, on both offense and defense, for Princeton teams coached by College Football Hall of Famer Fritz Crisler. Crisler's teams, with Lea at end, were ranked No. 1 in the nation in both 1933 and 1935. In 1935, Lea was a consensus second-team All-American, including spots on the All-American teams selected by the Associated Press and the New York Sun.[3][4][5]
