Legendary athlete and coach Dick Leavitt died Sunday, his family told the Sun Journal.

Dick Leavitt Kennebec Journal file photo

Leavitt, 70, attended Edward Little High School and Hebron Academy before becoming a track and field and football star at Bowdoin College in the 1970s.

Leavitt won the 1975 NCAA championship and was a two-time All-American in the shot put. He set the outdoor (56-1.5) school record in 1975 and the indoor (54-7) record in 1976. Both marks still stand.

Leavitt also was a standout lineman for the Polar Bears. He was named to the Bowdoin Athletic Hall of Honor in 2018.

Several NFL teams were interested in Leavitt. In 1976, he was one of the final preseason cuts by the Oakland Raiders. He later signed with the New York Giants and served as their long snapper for two games.

Leavitt’s pro football career was derailed by knee injuries that kept him off the field the next two seasons.

He retired, returned to Maine and became a teacher and coach. He was Brunswick High School’s head coach from 1995 to 2004. He also was an assistant at many schools, including Lewiston High School.