The College Football Player Literally Named ‘ESPN’—And The Story Behind It Will Blow Your Mind

The College Football Player Literally Named 'ESPN'—And The Story Behind It Will Blow Your Mind

Ever wonder if a name can shape a destiny? Meet Gideon ESPN Lampron—a 2025 college football linebacker whose name alone turns heads more than a Hail Mary in the final seconds. Named after the sports broadcasting giant ESPN by his dad (who took a daring gamble his wife wasn’t too keen on), Gideon’s journey from a three-time all-state star to Bowling Green’s newest gridiron force is nothing short of fascinating . At 6-2 and 220 pounds, he’s not just carrying a unique name; he’s carrying the weight of living up to it, aiming to shine under the bright lights of MACtion games on ESPN itself. Intriguing, isn’t it? Whether destiny or design, this linebacker’s tale makes you wonder—can being named ESPN guarantee a spot on ESPN? Dive in and see for yourself. LEARN MORE.

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A 2025 college football player has the name “ESPN” – no, seriously, that’s his name.

Gideon ESPN Lampron is the full, legal name of a college football player heading into the 2025 season. The linebacker plays collegiately for Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His father named him after ESPN despite his mother’s wishes against it.

The father of the college football player named after ESPN did so with the hope that his son would be into sports. Thankfully, that ended up being the case. But he knew it was a gamble.

“It was a big gamble,” Lampron told Dave Briggs of the Toledo Blade, “because I could have ended up liking instruments and being in the band, or something.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 26: An ESPN College Football camera during a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans on November 26, 2022, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

“ESPN” was a three-time all-state running back and linebacker while in high school at Keystone. He then began his college football career at Dayton, where he had 23.5 tackles for loss last season. This year, he’ll look to star at Bowling Green.

The 6-2, 220-pound is now looking forward to potentially playing on ESPN. The college football season will often feature MAC conference games on ESPN late in the year. MACtion, they call it.

“None of my highlights made it [at Dayton], but a few of my games were on ESPN-plus,” he told The Blade. “I’m looking forward to MACtion.”

You know ESPN will go all-out in covering the college football linebacker if he does anything of note during a MACtion game later this year.

[Toledo Blade]

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