Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, at just 5-8, Claude Benham may have been small in stature, but he loomed large at Baker Field in not one sport but two.
In his first year of varsity eligibility in 1954, Benham showed his brilliance early. After four games, the sophomore led the Ivy League in passing and total offense, putting him third in the nation. That season, he led the Lions to a last-minute victory at Harvard in week four. Still, the following week against Army, Benham suffered a separated shoulder, which ended his season prematurely.
As a junior in 1955, Benham picked up where he left off and finished his season among the nation’s leaders in pass completions and yards. And in the era of 60-minute men, Benham did it on both sides of the ball, picking off five passes as a defensive back on his way to being named All-American.
And in 1956, he did it again. In the first official year of Ivy League football, Benham paced the Ancient Eight in both passing and total offense. He led the Lions on defense with three more picks, culminating in another All-America honor.
A terrific all-around athlete, Benham also played baseball for the Lions. He finished his career on the diamond, batting .282 with a .408 slugging percentage in 18 games.
After graduation, Benham attended medical school in Virginia and became a family practitioner in his home state. He continued his athletics career as a nationally ranked handball player on the Eastern circuit.
