Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1995
- Class:
- 1982
One of the first big moves by Sonny Randle when he became Marshall’s head football coach in 1979 was to convince highly recruited South Charleston star Carl Lee to become a member of the Thundering Herd. A superlative athlete in the Marshall secondary, Lee was also a standout sprinter for the school’s track team. Lee, a safety, was Marshall’s top tackler in three of his four seasons. By the time Lee’s Marshall career came to a close he had started 42 consecutive teams and become a team captain, twice received first team All-Southern Conference accolades and had even set a still-standing school record by returning a blocked field goal 88 yards for a touchdown in a 20-17 win over Morehead State in 1981.
After graduating from Marshall, Lee was chosen in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and went on to play 10 seasons with the Vikings and another with the New Orleans Saints, a career in which he made 799 tackles and intercepted 31 passes. Lee played in three Pro Bowls with the Vikings (1988, 1989, 1990) and in 1988 was named first team All-Pro as he intercepted eight passes, second most in the league, two of which he returned for touchdowns. After retiring as a player Lee returned to his hometown and became the head coach at West Virginia State University, a position he held for 10 years, and then became a Charleston sports radio personality. He was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
