Paul A. Murphy C'85

February 2, 2008

The men's lacrosse program on the Hilltop dates back to 1963. More than 25 years later, the program took a significant step forward with the hiring of current head coach Dave Urick, who subsequently transformed Georgetown into one of the elite programs in the nation. Along the way, however, there were numerous small steps and several bright lights pointing the way toward the future success of Hoya lacrosse.

One of the brightest of these lights came to Georgetown as an unrecruited athlete from St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, NY. Paul Murphy arrived at Georgetown in 1981 after earning all-conference honors and leading his team to the Long Island Catholic high school championship in each of his final two seasons. The younger of two boys in his family, he was a welcome addition to the roster for head coach Tom Oberdorfer.

During his four years as an undergraduate, Paul made his mark both as a high scoring attackman and as a scholar. As a sophomore, he smashed the single season Hoya scoring record with 58 points (34 goals and 24 assists). By the time he was finished, Paul held every scoring record in lacrosse at Georgetown. In two of his four seasons, he was selected the outstanding offensive player on the team. In 1983 and 1985, he won the Corcoran Memorial Trophy as the team's most valuable player. He currently ranks third all-time in points scored with 188. He achieved these totals while competing often against vastly overmatched opponents. A team captain and a Dean's List student, Paul graduated with a 3.5 grade point average and a major in government.

Post-graduation, Paul continued to play lacrosse overseas, competing and traveling throughout Australia and Asia. Upon his return in 1987, he enrolled in law school at St. John's University where his father had once served as dean. There, Paul received an American Jurisprudence Award in contracts, was a Dean's List student, served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review, and graduated in 1990 with honors. He subsequently accepted a clerkship with Judge Joseph McLaughlin of the second circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Paul spent nine years in private practice with Williams & Connolly in Washington, DC. He joined the Justice Department several days after September 11, 2001. For the next three years, he worked on counter-terrorism and national security investigations. Paul then accepted a position with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the district of Connecticut, where he now focuses on criminal law prosecutions and white-collar crime.

Paul lives in Norwalk, CT. An avid Aussiephile, he enjoys traveling, playing golf, and even a pick-up game of lacrosse once a week. He remains active with the Hoya Crease Club and lacrosse alumni activities.

Paul Murphy is the second athlete in the 45-year history of lacrosse at Georgetown to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

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