Elford “Brud” Stover is perhaps the most versatile
athlete ever to grace a gridiron, court, or diamond beneath the
pines, playing three sports and excelling at three positions in two
of them.
Stover arrived at Bowdoin with a breathtaking athletic pedigree.
During his senior year at Morse High School, Stover was a stellar
two-way performer for the 1952 state champion football squad and
the 1953 state champion baseball team; he was also the top scorer
for the Shipbuilders in basketball. Playing an unprecedented six
seasons in American Legion summer baseball – starting at the
age of 12 – Stover was a member of teams that won three state
titles and were runners-up three times. During a post-graduate year
at Exeter, Stover starred in three sports and set a new school
record in scoring in basketball.
While undoubtedly an outstanding two-way player on the Bowdoin
football team and an excellent fielder both behind the plate and at
first base for the baseball team, it was on the hardwood that Brud
made the greatest impact on the Bowdoin record book. Graduating in
1958 with 1,144 career points, Stover was the first basketball
player in Bowdoin history to break the 1,000 career point mark.
This feat is made more remarkable by the fact that first-years were
not allowed to compete at the varsity level during that era. In the
more than forty-five years since Stover first cracked the 1,000-
point ceiling, only fourteen others have accomplished the same, and
only three have repeated Stover’s race to that benchmark in
just three seasons. At the time of his graduation, Stover also held
the best points-per-game average (18.2) in a Bowdoin career and
also held the season high for baskets made (188). As a junior he
was named both an All-New England and Little All-American
performer.
While he had his greatest impact on Bowdoin’s record book in
basketball, it was on the football field that he gained his widest
recognition. The accolades were well-deserved as Stover led the
Polar Bear offense from behind the line as the team’s
quarterback—where he was the top passer among Maine’s
colleges and universities—and was a stalwart on defense as
well. To this day, his four interceptions in one game against Bates
as a sophomore remain the greatest single-game performance by a
pass defender in Bowdoin history. Not content to play only on
offense and defense, Brud served as the team’s punter as
well. On the baseball diamond, too, Brud excelled at a number of
positions, playing catcher, first base, and shortstop. A two-way
threat in baseball too, he found great success at the plate, with a
career batting average of over .300. Captain of the baseball and
basketball teams his senior year, Stover was the 1957 Maine College
Athlete of the Year and was all-state in all three sports he
played.
Stover graduated from Bowdoin with a degree in history. A native of
Bath, he resides in West Bath with his wife, Marilyn. Together they
raised five children and have five grandchildren. Their daughter,
Susan Stover Garrett, is a member of the Class of 1983.
