Hall of Fame
A true workhorse in the backfield, Bill Gambardella held every school record for rushing yardage after his senior season in 1985, and he saw those records stand for seven seasons.
A West Haven native, Gambardella joined the Charger football program in 1982 when UNH moved to the Division II level. After helping the team to a 4-6 mark his freshman year, Bill developed into a major force on offense as a sophomore when he led the team in rushing with 634 yards on 131 carries and punched in for four touchdowns. In that same season, he led the team in scoring with 24 points and caught 13 passes for 126 yards.
Despite injuring his ankle in 1984, Gambardella managed to gain 276 yards on 54 carries with one touchdown, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. His junior season was highlighted by a 144-yard effort versus C.W. Post.
Bill entered his senior season in good health and capped off his four years in a Charger uniform in fine style with a career high 832 yards on 171 carries and six TD’s. The 1985 team went 6-4, the program’s first winning season at the Division II level. As a senior, Gambardella was one of three UNH players to earn All-New England honors.
For his career, Gambardella collected 1,840 yards on 392 carries, which stood as the most in school history until 1993. He remains eighth all-time in school history, one of 13 players to gain 1,000-plus yards in a Charger uniform. Gambardella also scored 12 career touchdowns. Along with his prowess on the gridiron, Bill was a member of two UNH baseball teams that advanced to the College World Series. During the 1984 season, he batted .333 in the national tournament.
