During his first few years playing football at Hopewell High School, Paul Posluszny dreamt of playing college ball at Notre Dame.
As it turned out, he wouldn’t play for the Fighting Irish.
Instead, he wound up at Penn State, and as fate would have it, became one of the most accomplished players to ever suit up for the Nittany Lions.
During his four years as a linebacker, he upheld Penn State’s reputation as Linebacker U.
“Poz” was such a force that he’s received an honor every diehard Penn State follower knew was coming sooner than later.
On Monday, the National Football Foundation announced the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class, and Posluszny was among the 19 first-team All-Americans and three outstanding coaches selected.
Another of the former college stars chosen was Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
“It is an incredible honor,” said Posluszny, who played 11 seasons in the NFL after finishing his Penn State career.
Posluszny learned of his selection when a package arrived at his home in the Jacksonville, Fla., area on Monday. Inside the package was a football marked with the words “Congratulations, Class of 2024, College Football Hall of Fame.”
“It was an awesome way to find out,” Posluszny said.
Posluszny, a starter in the last 37 games of his Penn State career (2003-2006), was one of 78 players on the 2024 list of finalists.
He’s the 27th member (21 players, 6 coaches) of the Penn State football family to be elected to the College Hall of Fame. Linebacker LaVar Arrington was the most recent in 2022.
“Football is the ultimate team game, and when an individual gets honored, you think of all the people who have played a role in allowing this to happen,” Posluszny said. “I would like to thank my family, specifically my parents, Paul and Jackie, and my brothers and sisters, Stan, Mary, David and Anne, for their endless support of my football career growing up.
“I am also incredibly thankful to my Penn State teammates and coaches, who I share this honor with and am grateful for everything we accomplished together. I was coached by Ron Vanderlinden, one of the best linebacker coaches in the country, and Tom Bradley was a great defensive coordinator. If I didn’t get to line up with guys like Sean Lee, Tamba Hali and Dan Connor, none of this happens.
“I would like to thank my outstanding friends and teammates from Hopewell,” added Posluszny, who helped the Vikings win WPIAL and state titles in 2002. “The love for the game together and the relationships we had. Guys like Michael Mack, Matt Fontana and Greg Rosatelli … I don’t go to Penn State without them.”
Known for his exceptional football IQ and leadership skills, “Poz” was the heart and soul of Penn State’s defense during his time in Happy Valley.
A two-time consensus All-American (2005, 2006), he was a tackling machine who became the first Nittany Lion to lead the team in tackles three times and to post three 100-plus tackle seasons.
In 2005, he earned both the Chuck Bednarik and Dick Butkus awards as the College Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year, respectively. He also won the Bednarik award as a senior.
In 2005, Posluszny became Penn State’s first junior co-captain since Mike Reid and Steve Smear in 1968.
In addition to his excellence on the field, “Poz” also took care of business in the classroom. He and offensive lineman Jeff Hartings are the only Penn State players to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors twice.
Of the 20 Penn State players already in the College Football Hall of Fame, four are linebackers. They are Dennis Onkotz, Jack Ham, Shane Conlan and Arrington.
“It’s very humbling to even be mentioned with those guys,” Posluszny said.
And how about this select fraternity?
Posluszny will be just the fourth player from Beaver County to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He’ll join Aliquippa’s Mike Ditka, Hopewell’s Tony Dorsett and Freedom’s Jimbo Covert, who all played collegiately at Pitt.
“That is really special,” Posluszny said. “Those are guys I view as immortals.”
Posluszny and the other 21 inductees will be recognized at their respective colleges with a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute sometime during the 2024 season.
The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, 2024, at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Each inductee will receive a custom ring commemorating their induction.
Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
In 2007, Posluszny was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Bills and seven with the Jacksonville Jaguars, earning All-Pro honors in 2013.
“Poz” was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Hopewell High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
