Lehigh University Athletics
Three football greats among six new Lehigh Hall of Famers
5/7/2005 8:30:00 PM | Football
The only Lehigh football player to earn All-American recognition at two levels, Jim McCormick became the first Lehigh football player to earn such an honor exclusively for his defensive play. A four-year starter at outside linebacker while handling the team’s punting duties for three seasons, McCormick was also a two year starter on Lehigh’s baseball team.
McCormick originally came to Lehigh as a tight end, but was quickly moved to the outside linebacker spot by head coach John Whitehead. On the defensive side of the ball, McCormick quickly made his presence known by leading the team in tackles as a freshman, recording 98 stops. He was also named a game-day captain as a freshman, which was a highly unusual honor for a newcomer.
By his sophomore season, McCormick was a star. On the 1977 National Championship team, he again led the team in tackles, recording 113 – including eight for a loss. At the same time, McCormick averaged over 34 yards per punt in 1977. He was also named Chevrolet’s Player of the Game for his performance in the national semifinal victory over a highly-rated Cal-Davis team.
His junior season, McCormick made 106 tackles, recorded two interceptions, and averaged 32 yards per punt to earn Division II Honorable Mention All-America status.
As a senior in 1979, Lehigh’s program moved up to the newly-created Division I-AA level, and McCormick continued to dominate. He was a tri-captain on the team that was a national runner-up. In addition to capturing the Hall Foundation award given to the graduating male athlete of the year, McCormick was a Kodak First Team and Associated Press First Team All-American. He amassed over 400 tackles in his career.
On the baseball diamond, McCormick’s played on Lehigh’s conference-winning team as a freshman, and led the Engineers in both home runs and runs batted in as a sophomore. He played right field, first base, designated hitter, and was also a pitcher. However, McCormick’s baseball career ended abruptly when he sustained a serious knee injury in the last minute of the Lehigh-Lafayette football game his junior year.
“I am humbled by this honor, and I am greatly pleased at the same time,” McCormick said. “Because I was defensive player, I didn’t think that I would get in. There are a lot of deserving defensive players in Lehigh history, and hopefully my entry will open doors for the many other deserving defensive players.”
McCormick graduated from Lehigh with a degree in history in 1980. A resident of
Considered one of Lehigh’s greatest “two-way” football players in the illustrious history of the program, Bob Numbers excelled on both sides of the ball during his time at Lehigh.
Both a center and a linebacker at Lehigh, Numbers was a three-year starter for the Brown and White. By his senior season, Numbers garnered several prestigious honors for his efforts as the team’s center. He was recognized as an All-East center, an All-Pennsylvania center, and a first team Associated Press Little All-American.
Defensively, Numbers was just as impressive. As a linebacker, he led the team in tackles in each of his three seasons. In 1950, Numbers was honored with the team’s Pat Pazzetti Award, handed out to the team’s most outstanding player during the 1949 campaign.
Following the 1949 season, in which he was a team captain, Numbers was asked to participate in the North-South Shrine game. Soon thereafter, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Numbers declined those opportunities to pursue his engineering career.
Richard Doyne ’51 was a running back on Lehigh’s football team and followed the blocks of Numbers on the gridiron. “Bobby was a really excellent player,” Doyne explained. “From his linebacker position on defense he was always in motion and going after the play no matter where it was on the field. I didn’t know anyone on the Lehigh campus that didn’t like Bobby. He was just a great football player and terrific person.”
Prior to his enrollment at Lehigh, Numbers served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. During World War II, Numbers’ squadron was stationed on a torpedo boat in the
“I played football just for fun,” Numbers recalled. “I had decided that I wanted to get a real education, so that’s why I made the decision to enroll at Lehigh.”
Numbers graduated from Lehigh with a degree in civil engineering in 1950. Initially employed by H.E. Stoudt & Son General Contractors, Numbers was the superintendent of many construction projects in the
A three-time All-American linebacker at Lehigh, John Shigo amassed over 400 tackles during his time on the gridiron at Taylor Stadium.
A four-year letterwinner for the Engineers, Shigo immediately had a positive impact on the Lehigh defense. In his freshman season, the team went on to win the 1980 Lambert Cup, awarded for supremacy in eastern football.
As his career went on, Shigo began to be recognized for his play on both a regional and national level. In addition to accruing several ECAC Player of the Week awards, Shigo was honored as a First Team All-ECAC selection as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He led the team in tackles in each of those seasons. After garnering Honorable Mention All-America accolades as a sophomore in 1981, Shigo captured Second Team recognition as a junior. In his senior season in 1983, Shigo was named a First Team Kodak All-American.
“I am surprised and elated to be joining such a great fraternity, and to be joining such a great group of guys is all the better,” Shigo explained. “It is quite an honor to be associated with some of my friends that are in the Hall of Fame – members such as Steve Kreider, Mike Rieker, Rennie Benn, Marty Horn, and Coach [John] Whitehead. I have to give big kudos to my teammates, or this award would have never been possible.”
Shigo earned his bachelor’s in economics from Lehigh in 1984. After graduating from Lehigh, Shigo spent parts of two seasons with the
Since graduation, Shigo has remained active in the Lehigh Athletics Partnership as well as within his community. He has served on the board for the McDonald’s All-Star Football Classic since 1984. Shigo is active in youth sports in the Fleetwood,
The annual induction ceremony and banquet is sponsored by the Lehigh Athletics Partnership.
