Bowling Green has housed a number of notable names in its glint history. And yet, none are quite like that of one of its most recent acquisitions, Gideon Lampron.
Lampron's appellation might not inspire much fervor at first glance. But don't be fooled; a closer look at his title — specifically, his four-letter middle name — offers a window into his family's passion for sports.
Lampron's full name is Gideon ESPN Lampron. That's no typo; his parents — more specifically, his father — took inspiration from the cable sports network when crafting his middle name.
Here's what you need to know.
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Who is Gideon Lampron?
Lampron is a junior linebacker who recently committed to play football at Bowling Green. The 6-foot, 220-pound talent starred at Dayton prior to his time with the Falcons, garnering FCS All-American first team honors after tallying 99 tackles (23.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks with Dayton in 2024.
In addition to his on-the-field exploits, Lampron also possesses another notable characteristic: his four-letter middle name, ESPN.
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How ESPN became Gideon Lampron's middle name
The story of Lampron's curious honorific is as follows. His father, Marty, is sports-crazed and long held a desire to lean into his love of athletics when naming his children.
Lampron's mom, Jennifer, wasn't too keen. When Lampron was born, Jennifer wanted his middle name to be Xavier. Marty, meanwhile, preferred ESPN — pronounced ES-PEN.
When Lampron was delivered, Jennifer was understandably out of it. A nurse asked Marty to sign his son's birth certificate. So, he did — and placed ESPN on the middle name slot for good measure.
When Jennifer woke up, Marty gave her the news.
"She wasn’t happy with me," Marty Lampron told the Dayton Daily News.
After years of shying away from the tag, Gideon Lampron has embraced it as of late. It is scrawled across his social media handles as well as his Bowling Green profile page.
“I love it,” Lampron said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think it’s great. My dad had big plans for me, apparently, from the time I was born. So I just want to make him proud. My dad’s favorite thing on the planet is watching his kids play sports. I want to be able to deliver for him and make him and my family and the hometown proud.”
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Where is Gideon Lampron from?
Lampron hails from LaGrange, Ohio, a small town located in the northernmost part of The Buckeye State. Located in Lorain County, LaGrange has a population of 2,595 people, according to the 2020 US Census.
Lampron isn't the first notable athlete to emerge out of the village's terrain. Dorothy Maguire, a catcher and outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s, also was born and raised in LaGrange.
Keystone High School was where Lampron plied his trade prior to his matriculation to the collegiate game. He impressed during his time with the Wildcats. Still, he wasn't given a star ranking, according to 247 Sports.
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Gideon Lampron age
Lampron is 21 years old.
Bowling Green football schedule
Here's a look at Bowling Green's slate of games for the 2025 season.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) |
| Aug. 28 | vs. Lafayette | 6 p.m. |
| Sept. 6 | at Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 13 | vs. Liberty | 5 p.m. |
| Sept. 20 | at Louisville | TBA |
| Sept. 27 | at Ohio | TBA |
| Oct. 11 | vs. Toledo | TBA |
| Oct. 18 | vs. Central Michigan | TBA |
| Oct. 25 | at Kent State | TBA |
| Nov. 1 | vs. Buffalo | TBA |
| Nov. 8 | at Eastern Michigan | TBA |
| Nov. 18 | vs. Akron | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 25 | at UMass | TBA |