Bowling Green Linebacker Goes Viral for Unbelievable Middle Name

Fathers are known for trying to pass on their athletic dreams or love of sports to their sons, but one dad in particular went to extremes.

As an FCS All-American linebacker, Gideon Lampron is already doing his part to make his name famous. However, Lampron’s father also helped ensure his son would gain notoriety by giving him a middle name that has now gone viral.

The story begins after Lampron’s birth, when his mother, who wanted Gideon’s middle name to be Xavier, went to sleep after giving birth. It was then that Lampron’s father, who wanted his son’s middle name to be “ESPN,” took action.

“Then she delivers Gideon, and she’s out of it,” Marty Lampron told the Dayton Daily News in September, “and the nurse comes for me to sign the birth certificate. When I signed it, I literally printed ESPN in capital letters. She was out cold when I did it. When she woke up, I told her I did it, and she said, ‘No, you didn’t.’ She didn’t realize I did it. She wasn’t happy with me.”

Marty, a Boston native, had previously tried to bestow a sports-themed name on his children. Gideon’s brother Gabriel, ten years his senior, was almost named for the most famous Celtic who ever played at the Boston Garden.

“I went for months trying to talk my wife into letting me name him Larry Bird,” Marty told the Dayton Daily News. “It didn’t go well.”

The lesson Marty took from that experience was that next time, he had to wait until his wife was asleep before naming his kids.

As for Gideon, he has no regrets over his middle name.

“I love it,” he told the Dayton Daily News. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think it’s great. My dad had big plans for me, apparently, from the time I was born. So I just want to make him proud. My dad’s favorite thing on the planet is watching his kids play sports. I want to be able to deliver for him and make him and my family and the hometown proud.”

Gideon uses his middle name on his X account, @ESPNLampron, and is listed as Gideon ESPN Lampron on his player profile at Bowling Green University. Gideon transferred from Dayton University to Bowling Green, an upgrade in programs and a move that brought more attention to his unique middle name.

Gideon played three years at the University of Dayton before transferring to Bowling Green.