Len St. Jean

Leonard Wayne St. Jean (October 27, 1941 – May 26, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a guard and defensive end for the Boston/New England Patriots of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Michigan Wildcats as a defensive end.

Early life and education St. Jean was born on October 27, 1941, in Newberry, Michigan. He played fullback at Newberry High School and then moved to defensive end for college at Northern Michigan University, earning NAIA All-American honors with the Wildcats. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 17th round of 1964 NFL draft, but opted to join the Boston Patriots, who picked him in the 9th round of 1964 AFL draft. Overall he played 140 games over 10 seasons for the Patriots and was an AFL All-Star in 1966 and a member of the Patriots' All-1960s (AFL) Team. He earned the nickname "Boston Strong Boy" thanks to his feats of strength on and off the field. In 1971, the Boston Patriots moved and changed their name to the New England Patriots. He retired from the Patriots in 1973. St. Jean also played two years for the New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets in the World Football League during the only two years of the league's existence before it folded in 1975.

Personal life Growing up, St. Jean's family was in the lumber business. In college and early in his pro career, St. Jean would work as a lumberjack in the offseason. He reportedly could carry logs weighing up to 600 lbs. He played for the Patriots Basketball team in the offseason, a group of Boston players who would barnstorm in the New England area. Following his football career, St. Jean worked in electronics sales for All-American Semiconductor.

St. Jean was later inducted into the Northern Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976, and the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. He died on May 26, 2025, at the age of 83.