Captain Martin Defrancesco, M.D.

• Post by: mcalibrary
• December 18, 2023
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INDUCTEE

Marty DeFrancesco almost single handedly forced people to accept Lourdes High as a football power capable of playing on even terms wit other schools. Not that the Raiders hadn’t produced fine teams and excellent individual players prior to Marty’s career; but it was in 1974 that Lourdes entered the Southern Division and he led them immediately to the Southern Division crown and tie for the Eastern Conference Championship. In a sense, he accomplished for Lourdes what Joe Namath has accomplished for the American Football League.

During his three-year career at Lourdes, the Red Raiders won 29, lost two, and tied one. In 1973, he set a school record with 13 interceptions and was AP all State Honorable Mention and First Team All Anthracite. The following season he was named Second Team All State by the AP on defense and Honorable Mention on offense. He also set Lourdes’ career interception record with 22 and threw the longest pass for a touchdown ever at Lourdes – a 95-yarder against Berwick.

He was also the only player named to both offensive and defensive squads on the All Anthracite Team named by the coached.

He was recruited heavily by the major colleges, including Penn State and Michigan, as a defensive back, but decided to attend Brown University where he majored in Pre Med. While at Brown, he quarterbacked and captained the Bruin frosh. He lettered the next three years.

He graduated from Brown University in 1979 and received a degree in Medicine from Milton S. Hershey Medical School in 1984. He is married to the former Barbara A. Atkinson of Lower Burell, Pa., who is a physician.