Chris Sullivan ’03 had a spectacular career as a two-sport athlete at Washington and Lee, competing in football and track and field.
Sullivan was a four-year letterwinner in both sports, serving as a two-year captain for the track and field team and as a captain of the football team for his senior campaign.
As a sprinter and jumper for the track and field team, Sullivan earned six All-ODAC citations, winning the conference title in the outdoor long jump each of his final two years. Additionally, he twice finished second in the indoor 55 meters and added a second-place finish in the 100 meters at the outdoor championship as a junior. Sullivan entered the Hall of Fame still holding the school’s indoor long jump record (6.87m).
As impressive as his accomplishments were in track and field, it was on the football field where Sullivan truly shined. He played both running back and wide receiver, finishing his career as the program’s all-time leader in rushing (3,140) and all-purpose yards (5,931) on his way to placing second all-time in scoring (204).
As a first-year student in 1999, he played in nine games as a running back, totaling 722 rushing yards and 1,384 all-purpose yards, and scoring a team-best eight touchdowns. He also set a school record for the longest touchdown run in school history, a 94-yard touchdown jaunt against Swarthmore. Following the season, he was named Second Team All-ODAC, while claiming Freshman All-America laurels. He also received the Outstanding First-Year Male Athlete Award at W&L.
Sullivan moved to wide receiver as a sophomore, catching 24 passes for 314 yards and tallying 786 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
As a junior, Sullivan moved back to running back and he produced one of the best seasons in school history. He rushed for a career-best 1,189 yards and totaled 10 touchdowns on his way to leading Division III with 2,024 all-purpose yards. Following the season, he was named First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-State, Third Team All-South Region and AP Third Team Little All-America.
Sullivan’s senior year produced 1,123 rushing yards, 1,753 all-purpose yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns on his way to posting First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-State and Third Team All-South Region accolades. In addition, he was named the Virginia College Division Player of the Year and he was a finalist for the Gagliardi Award, which is presented to the Division III Player of the Year.
Sullivan capped his fine career by receiving the 2003 Pres Brown Award as the most valuable senior male athlete at W&L.
