John Meehan '53

Coming from Rorer Street in Kensington, John Meehan started his club career like so many Philadelphia soccer greats, at Lighthouse Boys Club. He attended Ascension parish before attending North Catholic. Meehan was a two year Varsity starter and outstanding defender under NC Soccer Hall of Fame Coach Father Daniel McLernan. As a senior Meehan was named team Captain for a North Catholic team that went 13-0-4 and tied Germantown High for the City Title & a share of the “Terry Cup” in 1952. After the season John Meehan was also named to the All-Scholastic City soccer team.

After graduating North in 1953, Meehan accepted an appointment to the US Naval Academy. John played 3 varsity seasons (1956-57-58) for the midshipmen under NSCAA Hall of Fame Coach Glenn Warner. Meehan helped the team to a 22-5-6 record during that time and he started in 31 out of 33 games. He helped Navy to one appearance in the (ISFL) Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (predecessor of the NCAA) playoffs in 1956. The 1956 team was also the 1^st team in Navy soccer history to win 10 games.

Meehan scored 6 career goals with 5 coming in his senior season 1958. After the 1958 season in which Navy went 7-1-3, John Meehan was named NSCAA 1^st team All-American. He graduated the Academy in 1959 and received the prestigious Navy Athletic Association Award called “Sword for Men” which is "Presented to the midshipman of the graduating class declared by the Association's Athletic Committee to have personally excelled in athletics during his years of varsity competition."

For his accomplishments John Meehan is also enshrined in the US Naval Academy Athletics Hall of Fame.