Penn State legend and two-time first-team All-America linebacker Paul Posluszny has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class.
His induction will take place at the Hall of Fame on Dec. 10 as part of the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. The College Football Hall of Fame is located in Atlanta, not far from where Penn State just made its first ever appearance in the Peach Bowl.
“It is an incredible honor to be named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” Posluszny said in a press release. “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. 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. To the Nittany Lion community, it was a tremendous privilege for me to play in front of the greatest fans in the nation. Lastly, I would like to thank the National Football Foundation and congratulate the other 21 members of this year’s class.”
While at Penn State, Posluszny was an outside linebacker and was named a first-team All-American in 2005 and 2006. Among many other national honors, Posluszny became just the second two-time winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive player, in 2006. In 2005, he also won the Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s top linebacker and was a finalist for the 2006 honor.
He became the first Nittany Lion to lead the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons and to record three 100-tackle seasons, including 116 in 2006.
Posluszny is the 27th member (21 players, 6 coaches) of the Penn State football program to be enshrined in the College Hall of Fame. He marks the second-straight Penn State linebacker to make the Hall of Fame, joining LaVar Arrington, who was the most recent player inductee in 2022. Current Penn State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter is also a member of the Hall of Fame, inducted in 2020 for his time as a player the University of Virginia.
“I am really excited for Paul Posluszny earning this well-deserved honor of being elected into the College Football Hall of Fame,” Penn State head coach James Frankli saidn. “Paul is a great example of what Penn State Football is all about. He was elite on the field as a player, a leader and an overall teammate, but, he was also a tremendous role model for this program off the field. He is one of the all-time greats to ever wear this uniform and is just another shining example of Linebacker U. I would like to congratulate Paul and his family on this outstanding achievement.”
Posluszny was the Buffalo Bills’ second pick of the second round in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played four seasons (2007-10) with the Bills and seven seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2011-17).
