Into the Hall: Brad McLee
Submitted photo
Uniontown’s 1965 football team is regarded by many as one of the best in WPIAL history and the hardest hitting player on the Red Raiders’ outstanding defense that year was linebacker Brad McLee.
Also a running back, McLee played a key role in the perfect 10-0 season that was capped with a 14-7 win at Pitt Stadium over another great team in Butler in the WPIAL Class AA final.
McLee was good enough to go on to play at Michigan State where he was a two-year starter.
McLee is part of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
McLee attended Uniontown during an era of greatness in football and basketball at the school.
“I was fortunate enough to be on that JV team on those years starting that great roll of records,” McLee said while discussing his impending induction on Hall of Fame co-founder George Von Benko’s Sports Line Talk Show on WMBS Radio. “I think it was in the early ’60s when I first became aware of the power of Uniontown in Fayette County.”
McLee looked back on playing defense for Uniontown’s varsity football team.
“I could hear the coaches, most of the time there was a tackle or collision that I was involved in, they were pretty pleased about the energy that went into the situation,” said McLee, who had great awareness on the field. “I believe there was something else that myself and maybe a few other people had the knack for and that was to maybe see and hear certain things that give you an advantage over a ball carrier or even a blocker or someone coming through the line.”
McLee recalled the district final against Butler when Ray Gillian, who later it was revealed was playing on broken ankle, rushed for 112 yards on 18 carries and scored the winning touchdown late in the game on a sweep.
“I can remember that very clearly, seeing him basically hobbling down the sideline at a high speed and scoring during that Butler game,” McLee said.
Gillian also had five receptions for 41 yards in the game.
The Red Raiders, coached by Leon Kaltenbach, scored 252 points in 1965 while allowing only 47. The team earned the highest numerical index recorded in Dr. Roger B. Saylor’s Pennsylvania scholastic football ratings.
McLee, who was on teams that had a combined 24-5 record, reflected on Uniontown’s coaching staff.
“I didn’t know what a good coach was I guess until I look back on that,” McLee said. “I knew the coaches were organized and enthusiastic and they were committed. Most of the players on the team respected those coaches and they responded to what the coaches said that they needed to do. I know there were some very special coaches I appreciated.”
McLee garnered all-conference and all-state honors his senior year at Uniontown, but was more focused on team success than individual honors.
“Just being on the team and among all the other standouts was probably a solid enough experience,” McLee said.
McLee will be the third McLee enshrined in the Hall of Fame as an individual, joing Kevin “Age” McLee (2017) and Stu McLee (2024). He is already in the Hall of Fame as part of the 1965 team that was inducted in 2010.
Brad McLee was a multi-sport athlete at Uniontown.
“I was on the basketball team (coached by Abe Everhart) as a sophomore and I was on the track team,” said McLee, who pointed out about the latter, “I think that was pretty much required every year for most of the players. My coaches basically told me or us that we need to go out for track. It was supposed to, in our minds, be a way towards becoming faster and more agile knowing how to run.”
McLee was a highly regarded recruit coming out of Uniontown.
“There was some recruitment coming from various colleges or universities,” McLee said. “I didn’t have an outlook of preparation to go to school. Leon Kaltenbach was trying to guide me in that route and inform me to think about going to school.”
McLee’s final decision came down to Ohio State or Michigan State. He chose the latter but felt either would’ve been a good choice.
“Ohio State, Michigan State … a toss up,” McLee said. “As I look back I realize what great benefit it would’ve been going with Ohio State also.”
McLee started as a defensive back on Spartan teams that went 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten in 1969 and 4-6 and 3-4 in 1970 under head coach Duffy Daugherty.
McLee had a key interception both years.
In the final game of the 1969 season, McLee scored the first touchdown with a 39-yard pick six on the road against Northwestern at Dyche Stadium. Michigan State would go on to win, 39-7.
Early in the 1970 season against Washington State, McLee returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 28-14 win. McLee had two of the Spartans’ school-record eight interceptions that day with future NFL star Brad Van Pelt picking off three.
“One of the things that impresses me is the idea that I was able to intercept and score … I always think about myself compared to Herb Washington or one of the other sprinters who can sprint 40 yards in 4.8 seconds and I wasn’t exactly a sprinter but somehow I was able to score over that many yards without getting caught.”
After his football days ended, McLee eventually began a long career as a nurse. He and his wife Nadine have been married over 30 years. They have two children and two adopted children.
“Now these children are adults and they have grandkids and I’m in on that, too,” McLee said.
Tickets are sold out for the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame luncheon/social and the annual golf outing, which will take place Friday at Pleasant Valley Golf Club.