One of the great all-around athletes in school history. Earned 8 overall athletic letters across three sports in his career. Earned the Gold Medal presented by the Fathers’ Club of Holy Cross to the best all-around athlete of the Class of ’44.

Won a city championship in both broad jump and triple jump as a senior and was co-captain of the Tigers' first-ever State Championship track team in 1944. As the story goes the Tigers and Jesuit Blue Jays were tied at 26-all at the State Rally in Baton Rouge on May 6. Merlin Remmers of Jesuit upset Espenan in the broad jump but Espenan returned the favor with a sizzling 440-leg on the Holy Cross mile relay team which in turn upset the Jays and clinched the state title. The Tigers captured 5 of 16 first-place honors en route to a 44-1/2 to 35-1/2 win over Jesuit. Nine Louisiana prep teams took part in the rally.

Espenan was also one of the stars on the school’s first track and field team in 1943. Espenan was one of eight athletes to earn the first track letters given out at the school in 18 years. Other members of that first squad who earned letters were Leroy Chollet, Ray Arthur, T. Ciaccio, L. Adams, Ray Dunn, O.J. Tournillon, and John Johnson. 
On the gridiron, Espenan won First Team All-Prep End honors in 1944
Was one of 4 players from the state of Louisiana named to the 1943 All-Southern Prep Football Team in addition to being third team All-State Football at End in 1943

Served 2 years in the Navy after high school from the Fall of 1944 to the Summer of 1946 including service in the invasion of the Philippines.
Attended Notre Dame on a football scholarship from 1946-49. Espenan was part of the most heralded class in school history playing defensive end for the Fighting Irish. The 1946 recruiting class of Notre Dame featured four College Football Hall of Fame members including Heisman Trophy winner Leon Hart. Espenan lettered three seasons for the Notre Dame football team (1947-49) on which the Irish never loss a football game compiling a 36-0-2 record with 3 National Championships under Frank Leahy.

Lettered 2 seasons in 1948-49 for Coach “Doc” Handy’s Irish track team in the broad jump. He also was an 18th Round choice of the Chicago Cardinals in the 1950 NFL Draft
Espenan was fatally injured on a fall from a trampoline at Central High School in South Bend. His fractured neck left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and he died 11 days later from complications from pneumonia. 

He was awarded his bachelor of science degree in physical education from the University of Notre Dame posthumously in June of 1950. In 1952 the city of New Orleans dedicated a playground to the memory of Espenan. The playground tabbed Espenan Playground was on the Trafalgar St. behind the New Orleans Fair Grounds and remained there for more than 50 years.