Leonard L. "Lenny" Williams (2021) - Hall of Fame - University of Delaware Athletics

Leonard L. "Lenny" Williams

Induction:
2021
Class:
1955

Leonard L. “Lenny” Williams
Football (1952-55)
Wrestling (1954-55)

A civil rights pioneer throughout his distinguished life, Lenny Williams was not only the first African-American to play football at the University of Delaware, but was a standout two-way lineman for some of the top teams of that decade. A native of Wilmington, Del., Lenny was a three-year varsity letterwinner and two-year starter at center in 1953-55, leading the squad to a combined mark of 23-4, including records of 7-1 in 1953, 8-2 and a Refrigerator Bowl victory in 1954, and 8-1 in 1955. He paved the way for an offense that scored 20 or more points 17 times in 27 games and ranked third in the East in total offense in 1955 with 369.9 yards per game. Lenny was also a member of the wrestling team from 1954-55. He earned his degree from UD in 1956, went to law school at Georgetown, and then returned to Delaware in the late 1950s and practiced law with nationally prominent civil rights advocate Louis L. Redding, working closely with him on many landmark civil rights cases. He also served as a municipal judge in Wilmington for 35 years before retiring from the bench. In 1986, Judge Williams was inducted into the University's Alumni Wall of Fame.
Williams passed away in 2013.