Mignault Heads Ledyard Football Hall of Fame Inductees

When Ledyard High School announced its launch of a football Hall of Fame last spring, one thing was certain: Bill Mignault would head the first class of inductees.

Ledyard's field is named after Mignault, who retired at age 78 in 2008 as the state's winningest coach with 321 victories. He was Ledyard's only football coach for 42 years, finishing in grand style after the Colonels won their fourth state title in 2007.

"Starting a football program from scratch was a great challenge in the '60s," Mignault said. "To come to an area that never had a high school, we didn't know what color our uniforms would be, what the mascot would be. There was a lot of teamwork involved with principal Dr. Robert Gaucher, vice principal Bob Donovan and superintendent of schools Tony Strazzo, but you'd have to say things worked out all right."

Evidently, yes. Mignault was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1991 and was also presented the prestigious Gold Key Award by the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance in 2005.  

Jim Buonocore, Mignault's successor as LHS head coach, conceived the Hall of Fame idea last year and announced its launch in March. The first selections were recently announced. Mignault heads the first class of six, which includes five players: back James Popp (Class of '69), back John Langford ('70), lineman Kyle Banks ('87), back Michael Daggett ('92) and linebacker Luis Vasquez ('04).

A trophy case displayed at LHS will commemorate the inductees, who will be introduced at halftime of Ledyard's Thanksgiving football game and be honored at the Colonels' football banquet next January. Daggett and Langford will be honored posthumously.

Who better to reminisce about the first Hall of Fame class than the coach who mentored them all?

James Popp

"He had great quickness off the ball," Mignault said. "We'd use him defensively right across the center. Sometimes he'd be in the backfield as soon as the ball was snapped. He was very dedicated and easy to coach. He wanted to learn, which as a coach you really appreciate."

Popp continued his football career as an outstanding linebacker at Furman University where he was named to the All-Southern Conference team in 1972. Popp is currently a database administrator at the University of Virginia.

John Langford

"He was one of the most gifted athletes ever to play at Ledyard High, excelling in football, basketball and baseball," Mignault said. "He had tremendous success as a running back with ability to follow his blocks and then cut to daylight the way Paul Hornung did with the Packers."

In his Ledyard football career, Langford scored 111 points, rushed for 739 yards and intercepted 10 passes.

Langford played football and baseball at UConn and later returned to Ledyard as an assistant coach for 14 years while working as a City of Norwich firefighter. After his death in 1998, the team instituted the "John Langford Award," which is presented annually to a Colonel who displays "physical and mental toughness."

Kyle Banks

Banks anchored Ledyard's first state title team as a senior in 1996 with his strong play in both interior lines.

"He was a very strong lineman who had ability to find the ball and pursue to make the tackle," Mignault said. "He was also an excellent blocker."

Banks enjoyed an oustanding college career at the University of New Haven and with the semi-pro New England Knights, where he was selected to that team's Hall of Fame.

Michael Daggett

Perhaps the most spectacular player in Ledyard history, Daggett was a breakaway and powerful runner in the early '90s. He gained 2,600 yards and scored 36 touchdowns in a career, culminated by leading the Colonels to the '91 Class M state title.

"He was very quick, very tough and had a great sense of timing," Mignault said. "I remember against East Lyme, he ran 60 yards for a touchdown only to see it called back when we were called for holding. On the next play, he ran 70 yards for a touchdown. He had incredible tenacity, which made him an excellent runner and receiver and linebacker."

Daggett, a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, later worked for the Tribe as director of public utilities. He was killed in an auto accident in 2007. Ledyard's football team honors Daggett's memory by awarding an annual award in his name to the team's top running back.

Luis Vasquez

Perhaps no other Colonel attained as much big-time college credentials as Vasquez, who was a two-time All-State linebacker in 2002 and 2003. Vasquez grew to 6-2, 255 pounds in college and went on to star for Arizona Western College, becoming a junior college All-American. He transferred to Arizona State and started as a junior and senior, collecting 78 career tackles and 8.5 sacks.

Vasquez accounted for 130 tackles and four interceptions as a senior, leading Ledyard to the Class M state final.

"Few players here had as much overall ability in terms of size, speed and desire," Mignault said. "He was a ferocious tackler and a very good blocker at guard, leading our sweeps. He made quite a name for himself in college and was good enough to get invited to the Baltimore Ravens' camp."

It looks as though the Hall of Fame selection committee nailed it, honoring the outstanding Colonels from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s, plus the coach who directed them all. Buonocore gave special thanks to Mignault and program supporter Roger Tamer for providing statistics and historical information from past Colonel teams.

“It is an honor to announce the first class of inductees," Buonocore said. "The Hall of Fame allows the program to properly recognize, preserve, and honor the former athletes and coaches who have made significant contributions to Ledyard Football over the past 48 years since the program began. It allows the past to meet the present, and for the present to fully grasp and understand that they are a part of such a special organization."