Hall of Fame Class of 2010: Dan Lanphear
September 08, 2010 | Bucky's Backyard
Sept. 8, 2010
MADISON, Wis. -- Every day this week leading up to the induction ceremony, one of the seven members of the University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2010 will be celebrated. The Hall of Fame induction is Friday, Sept. 10 outside the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center. The 6 p.m. ceremony is open to the public. Today's celebrant is former football and track and field athlete Dan Lanphear.
A three-year letterwinner in football, Lanphear’s finest season came in 1959 when he was a consensus first-team All-American. A left tackle, Lanphear was also named first-team All-Big Ten that season, in addition to being named the Los Angeles Times National Sports Award College Football Lineman of the Year.
That season, the Madison native led the Badgers to their second Rose Bowl appearance, and second bowl game, in program history. Despite a 44-8 loss to Washington, Lanphear still ended his Badger career with a 20-7-1 record.
In addition to starring on the gridiron, Lanphear was a thrower on the 1959 UW track and field team.
After his collegiate career ended, Lanphear was drafted in the eighth round of the 1960 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh. He never played for the Steelers, but he did spend the 1960 and 1962 seasons with the Houston Oilers. He started at defensive end in the first-ever AFL championship game in 1960, a 24-16 win for Houston over the Los Angeles Chargers.
In 1989, Lanphear was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame, and he was voted as the best Badger to wear No. 73 in program history for the Badgers by the Numbers book by Jim Polzin.
The members of the class of 2010 include football coach Barry Alvarez (1990-2005), football player Don Davey (1987-91), wrestler Donny Pritzlaff (1997-2001), women's swimmer Ellen Stonebraker (1997-2001), men’s track and field athlete Dick Houden (1947) and Lanphear (1957-59).
