Name: Dave Jennings ’74
Home: Upper Saddle River, NJ
Major: Economics
Profession: Sports broadcaster; retired NFL player

A basketball player coming out of high school on Long Island, Dave Jennings became one of St. Lawrence’s most famous football players, later earning All-Pro honors five times as a National Football League punter.

Jennings played basketball at St. Lawrence, but he made his big mark on the football field. He earned free agent tryouts following graduation and landed the punting job with the New York Giants, beginning a 14-year career with both the Giants and the New York Jets. He held several NFL punting records. Now an analyst for radio broadcasts of Giants games, he has also been a spokesperson for Metropolitan-area public service programs, most notably Athletes Against Drunk Driving.

“My lasting impression of St. Lawrence is the people,” says Jennings. “The students, professors, coaches, dining hall staff, all were friendly and created a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. That has stayed with me.” Jennings credits the coaching staff with letting him develop his football skills, an opportunity he might not have had elsewhere as a walk-on. And he credits a January intensive writing course with developing his language skills. “Those two experiences, on the football field and in the classroom, really contributed to my success as an NFL player and now a broadcaster,” he says.

A contributor to a recent campus gymnasium renovation, Jennings recalls how new facilities in his day attracted students. “It’s important to keep that momentum up today,” he asserts.