Jim Lehman died last week at the age of 75 after complications during lung surgery at the Mayo Clinic.

Lehman was perhaps best known as the father of Tom Lehman, the Austin native who played golf at the University of Minnesota before going on to years and years of success on the PGA Tour, including one British Open championship.

But longtime fans of St. John's will remember Lehman for his own achievements in that school's football program from 1952-55. He was part of the first three teams John Gagliardi, who arrived in 1953, coached at the school.

He was quarterback in 1953, when the team finished 6-2 and tied with Gustavus for the MIAC title -- the school's first taste of a conference crown since 1938. Lehman switched to halfback beginning in 1954 and Gagliardi said an injury he suffered helped convince him to phase out full contact in his practices -- a philosophy that has continued to this day.

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