Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

 
Paul Posluszny capped an outstanding prep career by leading Hopewell High School to a 14-1 mark and WPIAL and PIAA football crowns. As a senior, the rugged linebacker and running back rushed for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns. In the Vikings' 20-15 WPIAL championship game victory over previously unbeaten Pine-Richland, Posluszny accounted for 92 yards and a score. He broke Perry Traditional Academy's 13-game shutout streak with a 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of a 20-3 victory in the PIAA semifinals and finished the game with 121 yards on the ground. In the state championship match versus Strath Haven, Posluszny scored a touchdown and accounted for 167 of the Vikings' 304 rushing yards in Hopewell's 21-10 victory. Paul was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Fabulous 22 and Tribune-Review's Terrific 25 and received Player of the Year honors from both publications and from the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. He was named Associated Press All-State. Posluszny then went on to Penn State where he rewrote many of the Nittany Lions' defensive records. In his first season, he earned The Sporting News Big Ten All-Freshman honors. In 2004, Paul started 11 games, led the Nittany Lions with 104 tackles, and garnered All-Big Ten Second-Team and conference Academic honors. In 2005, Posluszny became Penn State's first junior captain in 37 years and posted 116 tackles including 14 for loss and four sacks. He had a 22 tackle game against Northwestern. Penn State won the Orange Bowl and Paul joined LaVar Arrington as the second Penn State player to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Dick Butkus awards as the College Defensive Player and Linebacker of the Year respectively. During Paul's senior year, he registered 1 16 tackles, taking his career total to a then-school record 372 tackles. He is the first Penn State linebacker to be a two-time AP All-American. Additionally, Posluszny is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic Al-American and the 2006 Academic All-American of the Year. The Buffalo Bills selected Posluszny in the second round (34th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft and he immediately became their starting middle linebacker. He signed with Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, and completed his 11-year NFL career following the Jaguars playoff run in 2018. In a 45-42 postseason win against the Steelers, Posluszny made three combined tackles and deflected a pass. In his pro career, Paul had 1,381 tackles, 41 pass breakups, 16 sacks, 15 interceptions and eight forced fumbles.