Lacrosse is a sport with a long running history. Though its origins can be traced back to Native American tribes, the modern game was first codified in Canada in the 19th century. Since then, it’s grown in popularity.
Whether you’re a casual fan of the sport or a diehard player, everyone can appreciate the skill and athleticism required to play lacrosse at a high level. Though it’s not as widely known as some other sports, lacrosse has created some exceptional athletes. They are skilled, competitive, and inspirational for all the young buds who aspire to be like them today.
So in this blog post, we will take a look at the most famous lacrosse players of all time.
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Top 10 best lacrosse players of all time
Jim Brown
Widely considered the greatest lacrosse player of all time, Jim Brown was a star attackman at Syracuse University from 1954 to 1957. He was a two-time All-American at Syracuse University and had a successful professional career. He has also won three national championships with the Rochester Knighthawks.
After college, he joined the U.S. National Lacrosse team and helped lead them to a gold medal at the 1958 World Lacrosse Championship. He had a successful career in other sports, including professional football, but he is best remembered for his exploits on the lacrosse field. Brown went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL).
Gary Gait
A member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Gary Gait is one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport. He is one of the most successful lacrosse players in history, earning the first-team All-America honors three times and USILA player of the year twice.
He led Syracuse to national championships during his tenure with them from 1988-1990. His team also won back-to-back titles! Gary also holds numerous records, including:
- Goals scored per game average.
- Single tournament scorers list
- Career tournaments leaderboard passing both Mike95 And Nanu Barnfather
Moreover, Gait also played for Canada in international lacrosse competitions, earning him a spot on the All-World team each year. He also spent 10+ seasons playing professional US Lac Pro League before joining Minor League Lacrosse. As an assistant coach with the University of Maryland women’s teams, he won seven consecutive NCAA championships from 1990 – 2000, and in the early 2000s
Paul Rabil
Lacrosse player and founder of the Premier Lacrosse League, Paul Rabil, is an American former professional lacrosse. He played for both Cannons clubs in England as well as at home against other top teams like Boston or New York. With his experience on the field, including 3 World champion titles and 2 Professional MVP awards, this man has done it all when it comes to playing great sports!!
More than just a lacrosse player, Paul runs a successful YouTube channel which has over 256k subscribers. He7 was a two-time All-American at Johns Hopkins University and won two national championships with the Blue Jays. He has also enjoyed success as a professional, winning three Major League Lacrosse titles with Boston Cannons/New York Lizards franchise.
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John Grant Jr.
When you think of lacrosse, John Christopher Grant Jr. is the man who comes to mind. A Hall of Fame professional player and coach in Major League Lacrosse and Ontario league play! Not only John Grant Jr. is also considered one of the greatest lacrosse players, but he also a four-time All-American at the University of Delaware.
Besides that, he has won multiple professional championships with the Rochester Knighthawks and Colorado Mammoth. And he has also served as an offensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins University since 2020.
Tom Marechek
Marechek is one of the most decorated players in lacrosse history. He was a four-time All-American at Syracuse, earning first-team honors both years. United States Lacrosse League recognized him with a second-team selection from 1990 to 1992. A six-time league ALL-star and 12-year veteran who played eight seasons for Philadelphia Wings, NLA, MLL, and LaxClassic games.
Moreover, Tom also founded and coached the Team 42 Lacrosse Club, camps held all over America. And he also coached at Friends School of Baltimore in Maryland, where he trained many future lacrosse players that are now attending college across this country!
Kelly Amonte Hiller
Kelly Amonte Hiller is one of history’s most successful women’s lacrosse coaches. She led Northwestern University to seven NCAA Division I national championships. During her tenure as head coach from 2002-2012 and serving as BC’s guiding light for their program, she has won two titles under iconic figure (in 2014 & 2018). In 2012, she was also inducted into the National Lacross Hall Of Fame.
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Matt Danowski
Matt Danowski is a former lacrosse player who has played in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and the Premier Development League. He finished his career with the Chrome steel club, announcing his retirement on February 22nd. Moreover, he also helped lead four different teams, including two NHL affiliates; Colorado Mammoth alongside Rochester Knights back during the 2006-07 season before signing off.
Kyle Harrison
Kyle Harrison is a retired American professional lacrosse player who currently serves in an official capacity for the PLL. He had 17 years of professional experience playing field hockey and football before transitioning into lacrosse. His skills allowed him to be selected 12 times as captain while achieving success on different levels both nationally & internationally.
He’s been a visible role model for many other gamers. He has continued being involved with this sport at large through founding Black Lacrosse Alliance which seeks “to push culture forward by creating a more inclusive environment where everyone can be themselves.”
Casey Powell
Casey Powell was an intimidating force on the lacrosse field. During his illustrious career at Syracuse, he secured four USILA All-American citations and one NCAA Division I Most Outstanding Player award. He graduated in 1997 with honors and has also been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame!
After retirement from professional lacrosse, Powell shifted his focus to other business and philanthropic endeavors. He started the World Lacrosse Foundation (WLF) in 2015; this non-profit organization is dedicated to advancing the sport of lacrosse through various initiatives.
Matt Striebel
Matt Striebel is a two-sport athlete who was an all-star in both lacrosse and soccer. He played field Lacross for the New York Lizards before joining their sister team—Major League Baseball’s Mets (2011). In addition to being highly skilled on offense or defense, you can find him upfield trafficking balls into scoring positions!
He’s no stranger to success at the highest levels of competition. After four seasons with Princeton, he helped his team qualify for both NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship games and won three out of four Ivy League championships too!
An amateur player who became one if not the best players in MLL history (notably earning 3x league records and 8 All-Star Recognition Awards).
Top 5 best college lacrosse players in 2022
Joey Terenzi
Joey was one of the leading contributors for Manhasset as a freshman and helped them win their 2022 title at NLF nationals.
There might not have been a better candidate in recent Manhasset (N.Y.) history to wear the cherished No 32 jersey than Joey Terenzi. The number is annually awarded to top senior midfielder of memory Johnny Driscoll, who went on play at the University Of Virginia and died six years ago after battling brain cancer. Still, before his time was up, he let coach Keith Cromwell know that this would be something different had chosen rather than sticking with what he has always done well, which brings us here today, where we can proudly announce him as our newest member!
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Joey Spallina
Joey has been the face of lacrosse since he was eight years old, and now it looks like Joey Spallina might be taking over as well. The Mount Sinai (NY) attackman thrived under pressure. Most recently, he was named 1st team ALL-American after leading his high school into states last year where they won 3 titles, including ‘most goals scored.’
Charles Balsamo
Chaminade High School’s lacrosse program is well-known locally and nationally. He ranks among the best in New York State for his tremendous athletic ability playing for them.
Balsamo brings an aggressive, tenacious style to the field that is sure to score many goals and create them. From his amazing lacrosse IQ, he can find ways around defenders or take opponents off their feet with finesse in tight spaces before finishing strong anywhere on or near goal!
Luke Engelke
In the world of recruiting, some go into their choices with a favorite clear school—the one they’ve envisioned playing for since childhood. Luke Engelke is definitely not one of these people; he’s been a die-hard Duke fan from way back! The Leading Edge 2022 and Pingry standout faceoff man has always focused on Dukemicianship. And you’ll never guess what nickname fits best: ” Duker.”
Engelke is the best faceoff man on his team and has been dominant at X since joining. His play in the field after winning draws also sets him apart from others, making it easy for Duke to notice this 6-2 187-pounder with a size/speed combo that can fight through checks while still being one of the top scorers around summer futures tournament circuit last year (17 goals).
Charlie Johnson
Charlie Johnson is one of the most physical defensemen in this year’s Junior Open. He has a lengthy history with Prime Time, which shows he always gives everything on every shift to help his team win! He is a physical, aggressive defenseman who’s well-put together at 6 feet 1 inch and 205 pounds. And he also has the skating skills to turn any matchup into an alley fight for his team.
With a 6-foot frame, you know what kind of dangerous player Charlie will be – coming across the middle looking for the opposition’s top scorer? Don’t worry about being caught off guard because if there ever were anyone capable of putting hurtin’ around here…it would definitely end up being him.
Summing Up
These are a few most famous lacrosse players who have made their mark on the sport throughout its long history. From Jim Brown to Paul Rabil, these athletes show that lacrosse is a sport anyone can excel at regardless of where they come from or their background. So get out there and pick up a stick! You never know where it might take you!
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Did your favorite lacrosse player make our list? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
