Len Eshmont

• Post by: mcalibrary
• December 14, 2023
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INDUCTEE

Leonard Charles Eshmont was born in Mount Carmel in 1918, a son of Charles Eshmont and Rose Shulski Bergal Eshmont. He was reared form infancy in Atlas, attended Our Mother of Consolation parochial school and was graduated from Mount Carmel Township High School in 1937.

Len began his football carrier as a freshman with the Golden Bears of Mount Carmel Township in 1933. The next four years saw Len become the greatest athlete in Mount Carmel Township history. As a halfback under Coach Al Masciantonio, he led the Bears to a record of 9-1 in 1936, best in school history. During that season Len earned such nicknames as “Galloping Ghost”, Golden Galloper, “Green Ghost”, and Atlas Antelope. As a senior Len scored 114 of the Townships 147 points. Len finished with a total of 186 points during his four year career, almost one-half the total number of points scored by the Township teams during that period.

Against Danville in 1936, Len scored 5 touchdowns in his team’s 31-15 victory. In that game, Len returned a kick-off for a touchdown, only to have it called back due to a violation. Not dismayed, Len took the ensuing kick-off on the 14 yard line and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown. This time it counted! Len totaled 325 yards during that game as an all-purpose runner. Against Kulpmont, the “ghost” rushed for 201 yards, returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown, and scored on a 5 yard run, leading the Bears to a 14-0 win. Len finished the season rushing for over 150 yards against Selinsgrove, Freeland, and Girardville, a truly remarkable fete at that time.

Following graduation, Sleep Jim Cowley was able to lure Eshmont into going to Fordham University in New York. Fordham at that time was known as “Anthracite University” because of the great many coal region athletes who played there. Len would go one to be remembered as one of their all-time greats, along with Alex “The Great” Wojciehowicz, Lou DeFilipo, Vince Lombardi, George Cherverko, Joe Andjreco and Steve Filopowicz.