Lamar University Athletics

Eugene Seale, the most decorated football player in Lamar University history, ranks as the school’s finest linebacker ever. He was a Division I-AA first-team All-America selection and a second-team choice in 1984 and 1985 while earning All-Southland Conference honors each year.

Mild mannered off the field, the stocky 5-foot-10, 234-pounder from Jasper became a terror when the whistle blew. A fierce tackler, Seale set the Lamar record for career tackles with 500 in just three seasons, and logged a single-season mark of 170 tackles in 1983. He started his career by intercepting a pass and returning it 52 yards for a touchdown.

Seale was named the Southland Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1983 after receiving the league’s player of the week award an unprecedented five times. In track and field, he scored points in both the discus and shot put to help the Cardinals win three straight SLC titles. Seale joined the Houston Oilers in 1987, playing six seasons with the club.