Sports have a way of teaching invaluable life lessons — building character, fostering teamwork and strengthening the bonds within a community. In the West Haven area, these values have shaped some truly remarkable athletes from different eras, whose accomplishments continue to inspire.
Patch is celebrating five standout athletes whose achievements have left a lasting mark on our community. This list is just a snapshot, with countless other athletes helping shape the rich sports culture in our area.
Born in West Haven, Ken Strong became one of the most versatile players of football's early decades, doing everything from running and passing to punting and placekicking for the New York Giants. He contributed 17 points in the Giants' famous "Sneakers Game" win over the Chicago Bears in the 1934 NFL Championship, a mark that stood as a title-game scoring record for nearly 30 years, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
A West Haven High School graduate, Kelly Camp was among the state's first true impact players on the girls' high school scene in the mid-1970s. She scored a school-record 1,329 career points, was named First Team All-State in both 1976 and 1977, and earned a spot on Parade Magazine's All-America team.
A 2010 West Haven High School graduate, Ada Udaya went on to become a 16-time All-American sprinter at the University of New Haven. She was named a three-time USTFCCCA Indoor Athlete of the Year and still holds NE10 Championship records in the indoor 60m and 200m dashes, earning induction into both the university's and the conference's Halls of Fame.
Born in West Haven, Tony Sparano played college football at the University of New Haven before building a long coaching career on both the collegiate and NFL sidelines. He went on to serve as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders, coaching for eight different NFL franchises over his career.
A 1968 West Haven High School graduate, Roland Depew was the starting goaltender on the hockey team and a member of the school's undefeated 1967 state championship baseball team. He went on to earn an athletic scholarship at American International College, where he started in net for three seasons.
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