Few men can claim to having played on championship
teams on the collegiate and professional levels as can
Lafayette's two-sport great, Mike Gazella.
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At Lafayette, Gazella was the starting left halfback for three seasons under Dr. J. B.
"Jock" Sutherland. In 1921, he was one of the backfield
mainstays on the Leopard eleven which rolled to a
9-0 record and the mythical national collegiate football
championship. Wrote Sutherland of Gazella: "This lad was perhaps
one of the lightest men on the squad, weighing about 145 pounds,
but he played brilliant football and was always a man the other
teams feared." Mike also captained the 1923 baseball team, playing
several infield positions under the legendary coach Bill Couglin.
Upon graduation, Gazella played for the Yankees World
Championship teams in 1923, 1927, and 1928 as a utility infielder,
and also played on the Yankees American League championship
team in 1926. He enjoyed his finest season in 1927 when he hit .278
while playing third base behind the great Joe Dugan.
