1967 Football Team
The undefeated 1967 Lawrence University football team was inducted into the Lawrence Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 13, 2017.
The 1967 Vikings were led by captains and Appleton natives Chuck McKee and Gary Hietpas and had legendary coach Ron Roberts on the sidelines. The 1967 squad posted an 8-0 record to become just the third football team in Lawrence history to post a perfect season. The 1942 team went 6-0 and the 1951 squad was 7-0.
The 1967 Vikings started the season with four consecutive victories before earning a hard-fought 15-7 win over traditional rival Ripon College. Lawrence then rolled to easy wins over Knox College and Grinnell College to clinch a second consecutive Midwest Conference title. The Vikings then completed the perfect season with an 18-14 victory over Monmouth College, which was clinched by Dennis Kirchoff's late interception.
In the wake of the perfect season, McKee and Hietpas both earned Associated Press All-America honors. McKee, the team's star quarterback, was a first-team selection. Hietpas, a stellar linebacker who guided a defense that allowed just 8.4 points per game, earned honorable mention on the All-America team.
Lawrence had 11 players named to the All-Midwest Conference team that season. McKee and Hietpas were joined on the all-conference team by defensive end Dale Schuparra, defensive tackle Dennis DeCock, defensive backs John Biolo, Ken Koskelin and Kirchoff, tackles Joe Patterson and Paul Henningsen and running backs Steve Figi and Dick Witte.
