UNIVERSITY PARK — When looking at the depth of the players who have played linebacker at Penn State, it’s long and packed with College and Pro Hall of Fame members at every corner.
One of those College Hall of Fame linebackers is Paul Posluszny, who himself is among the best to do it for the Nittany Lions. After all, it was Penn State legend Jack Ham who anointed Pozluszny as the best linebacker of all time.
“I’m 21 at that point, I say, ‘oh my gosh, I better not screw this up,” Posluszny said. “Basically I was saying, I better not disappoint Jack Ham.’”
The high praise isn’t always easy to handle at a young age, but as linebackers at Penn State the standard of not letting those who came before you down is passed from generation to generation.
“The guys that came before us were and are immortal so it’s almost like you don’t even compare yourself to them because of everything that they did,” Posluszny said. “It doesn’t even seem right in your mind so it’s an absolute honor for him to even to even mention me in that way.”
Posluszny is among five former Penn State linebackers in the College Football Hall of Fame including Ham, Dennis Onkotz, LaVar Arrington and Shane Conlan.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Where does the ever humble Posluzny rank among the Mount Rushmore of Linebacker U?
“I’m not on it,” Pozluszny joked.
Now, what about his Mount Rushmore?
“There’s a class of guys now and I think of Micah Parsons and how amazing he was,” Posluszny said. “I have the tendency to go back in history from when I played so it’s Lavar, Brandon Short, Shane Conlan and Jack Ham. I mean, those guys are all … they’re immortal.”
The list for a potential Mount Rushmore could have any number of different Nittany Lion legends and Posluszny’s name is deservedly right alongside theirs whether he will admit it or not.
