Penn State Football:3 Lions on FBS Hall of Fame Ballot

The National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 as been announced and three standout Penn State football players are part of the ballot that includes 78 players and nine coaches. Running backs Ki-Jana Carter and DJ Dozier, along with linebacker Paul Posluszny hope to join the already 20 Nittany Lions currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame that is located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

DJ Dozier: Running Back (83-86)

Dozier’s career at Penn State began with a bang as he became the first Nittany Lion running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in his freshman season. He would go on to lead Penn State in rushing his entire four-year career, the only Nittany Lion running back to do so.

Perhaps his most widely remembered game at Penn State was the 1987 Fiesta Bowl against the #1 Miami Hurricanes for the National Championship. Following Shane Conlan’s 2nd interception of the game (and John Sheaffer’s fumbled snap), DJ took the ball six yards up the middle to paydirt and put the Lions ahead 14-10, on what would be the final scoring play of the game. Dozier went on to win the Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP with 99 rushing yards and two receptions for 21 yards to go along with the aforementioned game-winning touchdown.

Dozier’s athletic ability was “Unrivaled”, as he was not only a first-round selection in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, but he also played baseball in the New York Mets organization.