Stephen Durant ’64 attended Williston for five years and proved himself to be one of greatest athletes to ever attend the school. As a three-year member of the varsity football team, Durant was a two-time Boston Herald All-New England Prep School Team selection. The fact that he was named to the team at two different positions – quarterback and fullback – made the feat even more impressive.
In 1964, with the football team on its way to a New England championship, Durant gained 305 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry and, more impressively, never lost yardage. In 1964, he was named the Stimets Trophy winner as well as the Frank Boyden Award winner, given to the Top Western Mass Prep School Scholar-Football player. In 1963 he was named the Connecticut Valley Scholar Athlete recipient.
Durant also played basketball for two years, but it was lacrosse where he found a true passion. A Second Team All-New England selection in 1963, he was named co-captain his senior year as he led the team in scoring and earned First Team All-New England honors. “At Williston I loved the routine of sports every day,” he said. “In football we went from winning one game my junior year to being undefeated in our senior year. As I remember, in our senior year between football, basketball, and lacrosse, we only lost two games, both in basketball.”
Durant was also a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, consistently earning a place on the Academic Honor Roll, while also sitting on Student Council.
Following graduation, he attended Princeton University where he played lacrosse for four years, including 1966 when the Tigers were Ivy League Champs. In 1968 he was an Honorable Mention All-American selection. After Princeton, Durant attended Yale Law School, earning a degree in 1974. Durant continued to play lacrosse for the Jacksonville Lacrosse Club, winning the 1980 Florida State Championship, until a broken collarbone forced his retirement.
Durant continues to practice law in Jacksonville, Florida, where he lives with his wife, Tess, a 1964 graduate of the Northampton School for Girls. They both were on campus at Reunion this year, and Stephen accepted the award from Nick Garofano ’16.
