Len St. Jean
| No. 60 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard, defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 27, 1941 Newberry, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died: | May 26, 2025 (aged 83) |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Newberry |
| College: | Northern Michigan |
| NFL draft: | 1964: 17th round, 237th pick |
| AFL draft: | 1964: 9th round, 68th pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Leonard Wayne St. Jean (October 27, 1941 – May 26, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a guard and defensive end for the Boston/New England Patriots of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Michigan Wildcats as a defensive end.
Early life and education
St. Jean was born on October 27, 1941, in Newberry, Michigan. He played fullback at Newberry High School and then moved to defensive end for college at Northern Michigan University, earning NAIA All-American honors with the Wildcats.[1][2] He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 17th round of 1964 NFL draft, but opted to join the Boston Patriots, who picked him in the 9th round of 1964 AFL draft.[2]
Pro career
St. Jean started his Boston career playing primarily at defensive end before switching exclusively to offense in 1966 and playing at guard.[3] Overall he played 140 games over 10 seasons for the Patriots and was an AFL All-Star in 1966 and a member of the Patriots' All-1960s (AFL) Team.[4] He earned the nickname "Boston Strong Boy" thanks to his feats of strength on and off the field.[5] In 1971, the Boston Patriots moved and changed their name to the New England Patriots. He retired from the Patriots in 1973.[2][6] St. Jean also played two years for the New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets in the World Football League during the only two years of the league's existence before it folded in 1975.[7][8][9]
Personal life
Growing up, St. Jean's family was in the lumber business. In college and early in his pro career, St. Jean would work as a lumberjack in the offseason. He reportedly could carry logs weighing up to 600 lbs.[10] He played for the Patriots Basketball team in the offseason, a group of Boston players who would barnstorm in the New England area.[11] Following his football career, St. Jean worked in electronics sales for All-American Semiconductor.[3] He wrote a book of poetry about football later in his career.[12]
St. Jean was later inducted into the Northern Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976,[13] and the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.[14] He died on May 26, 2025, at the age of 83.[15][16]
References
- ^ Patriots 1964 Media Guide (Boston). August 1964.
- ^ a b c "Len St. Jean Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "Working nothing new to St. Jean". www.patriots.com. December 1, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ^ "Len St. Jean Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Patriots 1968 Media Guide (Boston). August 1968.
- ^ "New England Patriots | NFL Football Operations". operations.nfl.com. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ McGinn, Sterling (May 29, 2025). "NHS graduate, NFL player Len St. Jean dies at 83". The Newberry News. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
- ^ "1974 New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets". World Football League Website.
- ^ "1975 Charlotte Hornets Roster". Stats Crew.
- ^ Patriots 1965 Media Guide (Boston). August 1965.
- ^ Patriots 1967 Media Guide (Boston). August 1967.
- ^ Patriots 1971 Media Guide (New England). August 1971.
- ^ "Leonard St. Jean (1976) - Hall of Fame". Northern Michigan University. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ^ "Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame".
- ^ Mason, Chris (May 27, 2025). "Patriots AFL All-Star Len St. Jean dies at 83". masslive. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ Leonard Wayne St. Jean
External links
- Len St. Jean at IMDb