Navy Alum and First Team All American Syd the “Squid” Abernethy
Syd Abernethy looking to feed against the University of Virginia 1981, Courtesy of the US Naval Academy.
Syd “the squid” Abernethy gained his nickname for his patented head and shoulder fake at the attack position that allowed him to blow by defensemen and score bunches of points during his lacrosse career at the US Naval Academy. A lot of young players today of all stripes know nothing about him. I witnessed his game first hand and I think his story is important for serious fans and students of the game. A tall well-built attackman with powerful legs and blinding speed, Abernethy was born at John’s Hopkins University Hospital in 1958. He grew up in Annapolis, Maryland where he first played middle school lacrosse at the Key school and then later for a Hopkins’ lacrosse alum, Dave Roberts, at Annapolis High School located down the street from the Academy. He would go on to become the second African American to earn first team All American honors in the Division 1 lacrosse after Jim Brown and before Kyle Harrison. Follow the Fred Opie show and the content Fred shares on his website, Twitter and Facebook. Take the time to review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. If you like what you hear and learn, tell others about it and share and post the link to the show.
