Leon J. “L.J.” McKanas, Class of 2002, has been elected to the Northeastern University Hall of Fame for excellence in the sport of football.
He became one of the most prolific running backs in Husky history and ended his career being selected as the finest senior football player in New England.
McKanas came to NU with a “blue chip” resume. He had won 11 letters at Saugus High School in football, track and baseball. In his senior year, he captained all three sports. He set records at Saugus for most rushing yards and most touchdowns and was selected All-Scholastic, All-City, All-League, All-State and the Northeastern Conference MVP.
McKanas redshirted his 1997 season. The next year, in his Husky debut, he broke the NU rookie rushing record with 832 yards, averaging 92.4 yards per game. He was twice named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. The team finished the year with a 5-6 record.
In the off-season of his sophomore year he was slowed by both a skiing and automobile accident. He gained only 383 yards and the team’s record slipped to 2-9.
McKanas’s misfortunes continued his junior year, as he injured his ankle in the season opener and started just five games. He still rushed for a team high 721 yards and averaged over 100 yards per game in games he started. He bullied for 225 yards, then second best in Husky history, in an upset victory over Division I-A Connecticut. In the season finale, in a victory over James Madison, he gained 172 yards and scored three touchdowns. He became the first Husky to earn two New England Gold Helmets for Player of the Week honors. The team finished 4-7 and coincidentally McKanas started three of those games. He was given the Chicken Lou’s Award that year for aggressiveness.
His senior season he was healthy for 10 of the 11 games and enjoyed the most successful rushing year in Northeastern history. McKanas set records for most carries, 342, rushing yards, 1756, and rushing touchdowns, 14. He gained over 100 yards rushing in nine games and over 200 in three. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 159.6 per game as the team posted a 5-6 record. His 242 rushing yards against Massachusetts is second in the Husky record books. He was awarded a New England Gold Helmet for his 161 rushing yards and two TDs in a 20-7 upset of Delaware.
The awards started to pour in for McKanas: team MVP, All-New England, All-Conference and first-team Hanson All-America. Finally, he received the Harry Agganis Award as the Outstanding Senior Football Player in New England. Only two other Huskies, Dan Ross and Jim Murphy, had won the Agganis Award.
