The Official Site of the Fighting Saints

John DeLong arrived on Carroll’s campus from Thompson Falls, where his gridiron prowess earned him a berth in the East-West Shrine Game. A hard-nosed, intense 5’11”, 185-pound linebacker, he became a rare 4-time All-Conference selectee – honorable mention his first two years, and first team his final two seasons. As a freshman, the paper stated that DeLong was a “vital cog in a fine defense which allowed only 62 points (7.8 per game)” for the 5-3 Saints. In 1965, Carroll went 6-2, while the defense again held its opponents to single digit scoring, at 9.2 ppg.

His junior year, John was a 2-time IR Coca Cola “Gridder of the Week” for his hard-nosed defensive play. In the 19-12 win over Western, he posted 19 total tackles, blocked an EP kick, and forced a fumble that set up a TD; and in the victory over Tech, he blocked a FG that was returned for a score, knocked down a pair of passes, and partook in 19 tackles. In 1967, DeLong performed some kind of record vs. Northern, amassing 29 total tackles. He also intercepted a Skylight pass and recovered a fumble, garnering IR’s “Golden Helmet” award.