Penn State football great Bill Lenkaitis, who co-captained the 1967 Lambert Trophy-winning Penn State team, passed away on Saturday after his battle with brain cancer.
Lenkaitis, an offensive lineman, played under both Rip Engle and Joe Paterno during his stellar career that saw him earn Associated Press All-East first team honors in his senior season, along with an honorable mention his junior year.
He enjoyed a lengthy NFL career, spending three seasons with the San Diego Chargers followed by an 11 season run with the New England Patriots. He helped pave the way for a Patriots team that rushed for 3,165 yards in 1978, a record that hasn’t been broken.
Lenkaitis earned a dental degree while he was still active in the NFL, and became the Patriots’ team dentist while still a member of the team, according to the Associated Press.
He is survived by his wife Donna, son Jamie, daughters Kristen Thompson and Lauren Raffoni, brother Lew, and six grandchildren.
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