Sports-Loving Dad Gives Son Shocking Middle Name Behind Wife’s Back: ‘She Was Quite Mad’ 

When Gideon Lampron introduces himself, most people assume he’s joking — not about his first or last name, but his unexpected middle one.

At 21 years old, his full legal name is Gideon ESPN Lampron, printed right on his birth certificate. The decision was made by his father, who took advantage of a very unexpected moment.

“My dad is a big sports fan, being from Boston. It was a huge part of his life, and he tried to name my older brother Larry Bird, but my mom hard vetoed that,” Lampron shared in an interview.

As the story goes, his father held onto the idea of incorporating sports into the family name. When Gideon was born and his mom was still recovering, his dad filled out the paperwork — officially making ESPN his middle name, written entirely in capital letters.

His mother was not pleased when she found out. The original plan for his name had been Gideon Xavier, but that plan was scrapped without her knowing.

Fortunately, the surprise name turned out to match the path Gideon would take. He’s now a linebacker for Bowling Green State University, an FSC All-American, and a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy — an honor recognizing outstanding college football players nationwide.

With his growing success, his mom has warmed up to the name — something he says came “especially with the emergence of my athletic career.”

Lampron has fully embraced the uniqueness.

“I know it’s unique. I didn’t understand it at a young age, and I was never announcing it to the world, but as my football journey took off in high school, I made it visible on all my social media accounts,” he said. “I love that my dad gave it to me, and with it, I’m sort of married to the game.”

Still, disbelief follows him everywhere.

“I have to show people my license when they ask about it,” he said. He once watched a substitute teacher freeze, laugh, and assume the roll call was a prank. On a college visit, even coaches questioned whether it was real — until he pulled out his ID.

Had Gideon grown up uninterested in sports, the name might have been a burden. Instead, it became the perfect fit — a lifelong badge of his passion for the game.

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