Norwich University

Mark Conroy is the Distinguished Letterwinner in this year’s class, and was a four-year letterwinner in football. A member of the 1970 Hall of Fame football team, Conroy was a co-captain his senior season, where he led the team in overall rushing yardage and combined rushing and receiving yardage.
 
“Being inducted into Norwich University’s Athletic Hall of Fame is the greatest honor I have received in my life,” Conroy said. “Throughout my 44-year career as an educator and coach on the high school level I have been privileged and honored to have worked with many outstanding people in administration, teaching/coaching, as well as the student-athlete population. I have received a number of awards including ‘Coach of the Year’ and Hall of Fame awards. I would say that receiving this award from Norwich is the pinnacle of achievement.”
 
Conroy held two records at Norwich at the time for rushing yards in a game of 187 in 1971 and for kicking the longest field goal of 43 yards in 1970.
 
“There are so many memories it is extremely hard to pick just one. The memories range from the early September day in 1969 when I was met outside of Ransom Hall by a member of the Cadre and was told to say goodbye to my parents and to fall into formation to when I walked across the stage in Plumley Armory to receive my diploma in May of 1973. But the one memory I covet the most was my first touchdown as a freshman when I caught a perfectly placed pass from teammate and lifelong friend Barney Lantry versus St. Lawrence. It was a streak pattern and the pass met me in full stride.”
 
Conroy was a sophomore running back on the 1970 football team that finished 7-1, marking the program’s sixth-straight winning season. That team ranked third in the final Lambert Bowl rankings of Eastern small-college football teams.
 
He spent his entire career post-Norwich as a teacher, football coach, athletic trainer, fitness coach, strength coach, and as a summer camp director. He was inducted into the Boston College High School Hall of Fame in 2008. He has also volunteered for environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and the Scituate Youth Sports programs as a basketball, football, and baseball coach.
 
“My Norwich experience, and being a member of Norwich’s football program, provided me with the initial educational background and confidence to enter the field of education and to move forward on a very rewarding 44-year career teaching high school biology, coaching football, track & field, and ultimately serving 29 years as a strength & conditioning coach.”