Earlham College

A four-year letter winner in soccer and baseball from 1951-54, Sam DeCou was named first-team center forward on the All-Midwest team in 1952 and named All-Conference in 1953, even after suffering a broken leg. Although committed and dedicated in several sports, Decou excelled in soccer. Some talk about him as Earlham’s first soccer superstar. He was named an All-American in soccer in both his junior and senior years. He held soccer records and helped lead the team to championships over powerhouses such as Ohio State and Indiana universities. Dick Shellenberger, author of Earlham’s 1954 history, rated DeCou as the third best athlete at Earlham College from 1900-54.