Former Patriots C Bill Lenkaitis died today at 70. He played from '71-'81 and became a dentist after his football career was over. He practiced in Foxboro.
Brain cancer.
I always liked Lenkaitis. He wasn't the biggest or the strongest but he always gave good effort.
http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=12127
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</td> <td class="bigger" valign="top" width="100%"> Height: 6'4 Weight: 255
Year: 13 Yrs/Pat: 10
Acquired: W-San Diego, 1971
School: Penn State
Major: Dentistry
Born: Jun 30, 1946 Cleveland Ohio
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Personal
<hr> Since retiring from football, Bill has maintained a healthy dental practice in Foxboro. After attending Penn State for his undergraduate degree, he decided to finish dental school. Bill entered a program at the University of Tennessee during the offseason, and balanced learning dentistry and playing for the Patriots. Eventually, he practiced either as a dentist or a Patriot seven days a week. "Tuesdays were my day off, so I’d go in to practice for a few hours," he said. "In the offseason I'd work 3 days a week. By the time I quit playing 8 years later, I had a pretty full practice to go to."
Bill has two grown, married daughters: Kristen and Lauren. His son, James, had a successful college career, playing at the University of Connecticut. ... "Lenk" spends his free time playing golf and traveling with his wife, Donna.
From 1981 Patriots' Media Guide
Starting all 16 games of 1980, "Lenk" centered the Patriots' forward wall for the first and third quarters of every game while sharing the position with Pete Brock..."Lenk" will enter the 1981 season with a 76 consecutive game starting streak, the longest such streak among the active Patriot squad...one of the Patriots' elder staesmen along with WR Harold Jackson...Dr. "Lenk" has played more games (139) in a Patriots uniform than any other active player...having played 29 games with San Diego from 1968-1970, Lenk has 168 pro games under his belt...along with John Hannah, was one of only two Patriots' offensive linemen to play all 16 games in 1979...Lenk had a stellar season in 1978 and was the apex in an offensive line that paved the way for the Patriots league record setting performance of 3165 rushing yards for the year...Lenk entered the pro ranks as the second round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1968 and recorded a tackle on a kickoff in his first play...started at guard for the Chargers in 1970, but was a preseason cut the following year...quickly acquired off the waiver wire by the Patriots and he saw full time duty at guard and part time service at center and on special teams...a pre-season cut by the Patriots in 1973, Lenk returned after the second game to replace the injured Jon Morris...despite the fact that he had hardly played the position since 1967, he started the last 12 games of the season at center...since then, he has played every game at center except the last three of 1975 when he was felled by a knee injury...prior to the injury, he started 37 straight games...honored by his teammates as the NFL Dodge Man of the Year in 1976 and as the 1776 Fan Club's Unsung Hero in 1974.
Games Played/Started: 1968 -6/0, 1969 -14/9, 1970 -9/7, 1971 -14/2, 1972 -12/4, 1973 -12/12, 1974 -14/14, 1975 -11/11, 1976 -14/14, 1977 -14/14, 1978 -16/16, 1979 -16/16, 1980 -16/16, Total: 168/135.
Enters 1981 season with 76 consecutive starts, tops on active roster.
Stats: Fumbles: 1975 -1, 1977 -1. Fumble Recoveries: 1970 -1, 1975 -2, 1979 -1.
College
<hr> From 1981 Patriots' Media Guide
A standout at PennState, he played for both Rip Engle and Joe Paterno while serving as squad captain as a senior.
Earned a dental degree from the Univ. of Tenn-Memphis in 1973-74 off-season.
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Brain cancer.
I always liked Lenkaitis. He wasn't the biggest or the strongest but he always gave good effort.
http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=12127
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</td> <td class="bigger" valign="top" width="100%"> Height: 6'4 Weight: 255
Year: 13 Yrs/Pat: 10
Acquired: W-San Diego, 1971
School: Penn State
Major: Dentistry
Born: Jun 30, 1946 Cleveland Ohio
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Personal
<hr> Since retiring from football, Bill has maintained a healthy dental practice in Foxboro. After attending Penn State for his undergraduate degree, he decided to finish dental school. Bill entered a program at the University of Tennessee during the offseason, and balanced learning dentistry and playing for the Patriots. Eventually, he practiced either as a dentist or a Patriot seven days a week. "Tuesdays were my day off, so I’d go in to practice for a few hours," he said. "In the offseason I'd work 3 days a week. By the time I quit playing 8 years later, I had a pretty full practice to go to."
Bill has two grown, married daughters: Kristen and Lauren. His son, James, had a successful college career, playing at the University of Connecticut. ... "Lenk" spends his free time playing golf and traveling with his wife, Donna.
From 1981 Patriots' Media Guide
Starting all 16 games of 1980, "Lenk" centered the Patriots' forward wall for the first and third quarters of every game while sharing the position with Pete Brock..."Lenk" will enter the 1981 season with a 76 consecutive game starting streak, the longest such streak among the active Patriot squad...one of the Patriots' elder staesmen along with WR Harold Jackson...Dr. "Lenk" has played more games (139) in a Patriots uniform than any other active player...having played 29 games with San Diego from 1968-1970, Lenk has 168 pro games under his belt...along with John Hannah, was one of only two Patriots' offensive linemen to play all 16 games in 1979...Lenk had a stellar season in 1978 and was the apex in an offensive line that paved the way for the Patriots league record setting performance of 3165 rushing yards for the year...Lenk entered the pro ranks as the second round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1968 and recorded a tackle on a kickoff in his first play...started at guard for the Chargers in 1970, but was a preseason cut the following year...quickly acquired off the waiver wire by the Patriots and he saw full time duty at guard and part time service at center and on special teams...a pre-season cut by the Patriots in 1973, Lenk returned after the second game to replace the injured Jon Morris...despite the fact that he had hardly played the position since 1967, he started the last 12 games of the season at center...since then, he has played every game at center except the last three of 1975 when he was felled by a knee injury...prior to the injury, he started 37 straight games...honored by his teammates as the NFL Dodge Man of the Year in 1976 and as the 1776 Fan Club's Unsung Hero in 1974.
Games Played/Started: 1968 -6/0, 1969 -14/9, 1970 -9/7, 1971 -14/2, 1972 -12/4, 1973 -12/12, 1974 -14/14, 1975 -11/11, 1976 -14/14, 1977 -14/14, 1978 -16/16, 1979 -16/16, 1980 -16/16, Total: 168/135.
Enters 1981 season with 76 consecutive starts, tops on active roster.
Stats: Fumbles: 1975 -1, 1977 -1. Fumble Recoveries: 1970 -1, 1975 -2, 1979 -1.
College
<hr> From 1981 Patriots' Media Guide
A standout at PennState, he played for both Rip Engle and Joe Paterno while serving as squad captain as a senior.
Earned a dental degree from the Univ. of Tenn-Memphis in 1973-74 off-season.
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