Joe Paterno College Hall of Fame enshrinement set for Saturday
Thursday, July 17, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Joe Paterno will be joined by 16 former standout players and three coaches as they are enshrined into the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame.
Paterno and the others in the class will be honored at Saturday night’s Enshrinement Dinner and Show in South Bend, Ind., to highlight Enshrinement Festival activities. The third active coach to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, Paterno and the other members of the Bowl Subdivision class were inducted last December at a black tie dinner in New York City. Four players and two coaches from the Divisional Class will join them this weekend.
In his 43rd season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Paterno was selected to join the Hall in 2006, but his induction was delayed for one year after the legendary coach was injured in a sideline collision during a November 2006 game at Wisconsin. He would have joined Florida State’s Bobby Bowden and St. John’s (Minn.) mentor John Gagliardi as the first active coaches to be inducted into the Hall
In his 59th year as a member of the Penn State coaching staff, Paterno received the Gold Medal, the Foundation’s highest honor, along with Bowden, in a video presentation at the 2006 Hall of Fame Awards Dinner.
Former Central Michigan coach Herb Deromedi joins Paterno as the two Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) coaches to be enshrined this weekend. The 2007-08 Class was selected from a national ballot of 75 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees.
"This is right at the top, if not the top," said Paterno about gaining entrance into the Hall of Fame. "I feel good about it. My kids and everybody have been excited about it. It’s been a good thing for Penn State."
A five-time National Coach of the Year honoree, Paterno has 372 career victories to rank second to Bowden (373) among major college coaches. Paterno’s teams have recorded five undefeated seasons, 21 finishes in the AP Top 10, 33 Top 25 finishes and two National Championships. With a record of 23-10-1, he is the all-time leader among coaches in bowl appearances and victories. His 69.1 winning percentage is second-best all-time among coaches with at least 12 bowl appearances.
Paterno has coached 74 first ream All-Americans, 15 NFF National Scholar-Athletes, including Paul Posluszny in 2006, more than 300 future NFL players and seven members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
There have been 817 Division I coaching changes since Paterno became head coach in 1966 after 16 seasons as an assistant coach with the Nittany Lions
"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to enshrine another exceptional class of college football legends," said National Football Foundation President and chief executive officer Steven J. Hatchell. "Each year our hard-working honors courts do an outstanding job in ensuring the game’s legends are duly recognized."
Paterno will become the 21st member of the Penn State Football family to be enshrined into the Hall, joining four former coaches and 16 players, seven of whom he coached — John Cappelletti, Keith Dorney, Jack Ham, Ted Kwalick, Lydell Mitchell, Dennis Onkotz and Mike Reid. Former Nittany Lion coaches Dick Harlow (1915-17), Hugo Bezdek (1918-29), Bob Higgins (1930-48) and Rip Engle (1950-65) also are members of the Hall of Fame.
The Nittany Lions return 37 letterwinners and 16 starters for the 2008 season. The Lions will face eight bowl teams from 2007 this fall, including five at home. Penn State has won 31 of its last 40 games, tied for eighth-best record in the nation over that span.
2008 FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION ENSHRINEMENT CLASS
— Tom Brahaney – C, Oklahoma, 1970-72
— Dave Brown* – DB, Michigan, 1972-74
— Jeff Davis – LB, Clemson, 1978-81
— Doug Flutie – QB, Boston College, 1981-84
— Johnnie Johnson – DB, Texas, 1976-79
— Rex Kern – QB, Ohio State, 1968-70
— Ahmad Rashad – RB / WR, Oregon, 1969-71
— Anthony Thompson – RB, Indiana, 1986-89
— Wilson Whitley* – DT, Houston, 1973-76
— Reggie Williams – LB, Dartmouth, 1973-75
— Richard Wood – LB, Southern Cal, 1972-74
— Chris Zorich – DT, Notre Dame, 1988-90
COACHES
— Herb Deromedi – Central Michigan (1978- 93): 110-55-10
— Joe Paterno – Penn State (1966 – present; 372-125-3)
2008 DIVISIONAL ENSHRINEMENT CLASS
— Jim Ballard – QB, Mount Union (Ohio) (1991-93)
— Ronald McKinnon – LB, North Alabama (1992-95)
— John Randle – DE, Texas A&M-Kingsville (1988-89)
— Brad Rowland – HB, McMurry College (Texas) (1947-50)
COACHES
— W.C. Gorden – Jackson State (1976-91): 119-47-5
— Doug Porter – Mississippi Valley State (1961-65), Howard (1974-78), Fort Valley State (Ga.) (1979-85, 1987-96): 166-107-5
* indicates deceased
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Contact Jeff Nelson jtn4@psu.edu https://www.GoPSUsports.com 814-865-1757 |