Lou Stanfill
2024
Inductee
Louis “Lou” Stanfill is a one-of-a-kind individual, on and off the pitch. He has earned an incredible 56 caps as a USA Eagle and has exceeded on the pitch at the high school, college, club, international and professional levels. His size, speed and vision made Lou a powerful presence on the pitch whether at flanker, #8 or second row. His drive was (is) always to be successful at whatever his endeavor, driven by an unbelievable positive attitude and quest for excellence.
Lou was born in Sacramento on May 30, 1985. He was a standout football player at Jesuit High School and was recognized as the city of Sacramento’s Defensive Player of the year, earning All-State Honors in 2002. He began playing rugby at Jesuit and led his team to a national semifinal appearance. Lou continued his academic and rugby career at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2004 to 2008, where Cal won five consecutive National Collegiate titles and Lou was named a Collegiate All-American in each of those five campaigns. After graduating in 2008, he relocated to the Big Apple, where he played for the New York Athletic Club from 2009 to 2012. helping his undefeated team win the National Club Championship and Lou earning the MVP honors in 2012. NYAC coach Bruce McClane recollects, “I remember when NYAC played Cal in 2006, I knew that players would come join us, but I said that day, ‘that blonde lock Stanfill is the guy I want.’ 56 caps later, there you go!”
Lou made his international debut as a USA Eagle against Canada in 2005 at the age of 19. He went on to play for the USA National Team until 2015, enjoying a career that included three Rugby World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015). He also toured with the Eagles to Canada, Europe, and South America. Lou was an outstanding lock that had a nose for the tryline and was known for his tenacious tackling. He was selected as captain for the USA against Fiji in 2013. His last game of Eagles rugby was against South Africa in London’s Olympic Stadium. Lou finished his Eagle career with 56 caps, 6th most in USA Rugby history.
Throughout his playing career, Lou juggled his club seasons and Eagles appearances with stints abroad, including the professional ranks. He journeyed Down Under to play for the Canberra Royals in 2010 and then moved on to Italy to play professionally with a Super 10 club, Mogliano, in Treviso from 2010 to 2011. Lou then signed with Italy’s Vincenza Rangers for the Serie A for the 2012-2013 season. It was then back to the States, where he finished his club level playing days with Seattle RFC from 2013 to 2015. Lou continued to play professionally in Major League Rugby that included the 2018 season in Austin, Texas, and with the San Diego Legion in 2019. The Legion finished as runners up that year with Lou retiring as an active player after that MLR championship match.
Former Eagle captain and teammate, Mike Petri, captures the essence of Lou’s rugby spirit, “He is an incredibly humble, hard-working person and always had the team at the forefront of his decisions. As a result, he has earned the honor of being one of the most decorated USA Eagles of all-time. Capped while only a teenage student, he made an immediate impact on the National Team. He has been a role model for countless young players and always gave back his time and knowledge to the next generation of rugby players.”
Lou, amid his rugby schedule and personal life, found time to coach his alma mater, Jesuit High School, from 2016 to 2019, where they won the national championship in 2017 and 2019. Lou currently lives in Sacramento, California and continues his career as a Sacramento firefighter. He is married (Kramer) and has three children. In 2020, while training to become a firefighter, Lou was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In his usual positive and unbeatable attitude, he summed it up as “just another bump in the road” and has completely recovered.