Lance Mehl

Last updated

Lance Mehl
No. 56
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1958-02-14) February 14, 1958 (age 66)
Bellaire, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Bellaire
College: Penn State
NFL draft: 1980  / Round: 3 / Pick: 69
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:15.0
Interceptions:15
Fumble recoveries:5
Player stats at PFR

Lance Alan Mehl (born February 14, 1958) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL), from 1980 to 1987. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning All-American honors. Mehl was selected by the Jets in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft with the 69th overall pick. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1985.

Mehl was the leading tackler for the unbeaten 1978 Nittany Lion team. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts Education from Penn State University in 1980.

Mehl was a three-sport team captain at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Ohio in football, baseball, and basketball.

Today, Mehl is retired from working to help troubled youth. He is the father of four sons: Lance Jr, Lucas, Logan, and Layne. Lance's mother Beulah was the sister of Charles Meadows and William Meadows, both now deceased. they all grew up in south eastern Ohio.

According to Lance Mehl's 1984 Topps football card #153 Lance was the Jets leading interceptor in 1983. Lance is perhaps the club's most consistent defensive player. Recorded 10 tackles in 44-17 playoff win at Cincinnati Jan-9th-1983 As a bit of "Did You Know" the card said "Lance once worked in the coal mines of Ohio" In 1985, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

Mehl wore the number #56 while playing for the New York Jets.

In 2012, Mehl testified as a character witness on behalf of former coach Jerry Sandusky, calling him, "a class act." However, in a later interview, he said, "no doubt, if coach Sandusky is truly guilty of these crimes, he must be punished...and punished severely." [1] Sandusky was later found guilty of 45 felony charges related to child rape and child endangerment.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Hartings</span> American football player (born 1972)

Jeffrey Alan Hartings is an American former professional football player who was a center for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning All-American honors. A first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 1996 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl championship team in 2005, beating the Seattle Seahawks, and he was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He is currently the head football coach at Worthington Christian High School.

Todd Alan Blackledge is a former American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League (NFL). In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship. A member of the famed Class of 1983, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers and is largely considered a draft bust. Blackledge is a college football television broadcaster, working for ABC Sports from 1994 through 1998, for CBS Sports from 1999 to 2005, ESPN from 2006 through January 2023, and NBC since February 2023.

Courtney Lanair Brown is an American former football defensive end who played for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors in 1999. He was selected by the Browns with the first overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. He also played for the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydell Mitchell</span> American football player (born 1949)

Lydell Douglas Mitchell is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1972 to 1980. During his nine-season NFL career, Mitchell played for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Penn State.

Keith Robert Dorney is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1987.

Brandon Darrell Short is an American former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Penn State University, and was recognized as an All-American. He played professionally for the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and was a member the Giants' team that played in Super Bowl XXXV. He is currently Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Round Hill Capital in London and a member of the Pennsylvania State University's Board of Trustees.

Bruce Patrick Bannon is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the early 1970s. He played college football for Penn State University and earned consensus All-American honors. The New York Jets selected him in the fifth round of the 1973 NFL Draft, and he played for the NFL's Miami Dolphins in 1973 and 1974.

Gregory Ellis Buttle is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors in 1975. In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Nittany Lions football</span> American football team

The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. The Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 1993 after playing as an Independent from 1892 to 1992.

Richard David Robinson is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins. Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Ressler</span> American football player (born 1943)

Glenn Emanuel "Zeke" Ressler is an American former football offensive lineman who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 through 1974 for the Baltimore Colts.

Dennis Henry Onkotz is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, twice earning consensus All-American honors. He suffered a career ending injury during his first and only season with the Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Connor (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1985)

Daniel Murphy Connor is an American football coach and a former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. He played college football at Penn State University, where he is currently a defensive analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Lee</span> American football player (born 1986)

Sean Patrick Lee is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls and the 2016 All-Pro Team.

Richard E. Anderson is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Rutgers University from 1984 to 1989, compiling a record of 28–33–4. His highlight victory during that span was 21–16 win over Penn State in 1988—Rutgers' first win over the Nittany Lions in 70 years. He played college football at Penn State, and served there as an assistant football coach for many years under Joe Paterno.

Ron Blackledge is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Kent State University from 1978 to 1980, compiling a record of 8–25. Blackledge then worked as an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL), for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1982 to 1991, and was an offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts from 1992 to 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Taylor (American football)</span> American football player (born 1988)

Phillip Eugene Taylor Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and Baylor Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Hill (American football)</span> American football player (born 1991)

Jordan Thomas Hill is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.

The 1993 Blockbuster Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Penn State Nittany Lions played on January 1, 1993, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was the third edition of the bowl game, and a Bowl Coalition game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micah Parsons</span> American football player (born 1999)

Micah Aaron Parsons is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Parsons played college football at Penn State, where he was named a consensus All-American, Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP as a sophomore in 2019. He was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

References

  1. ↑ Gibson, Rich. "Sandusky scandal continues to haunt former Lion Mehl". Times Leader Online. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.