College Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 includes two with local ties

Former West Chester defensive star and head coach Danny Hale and former Penn State LB Paul Posluszny were among the list of 22 that included former NFL stars like Randy Moss and Julius Peppers.

Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny (40) was a two-time All-American, two-time Bednarik Award winner and Butkus Award winner. Now he can add hall of famer to his resumé.Read moreInq Murray

by Kerith Gabriel

Published Jan. 9, 2024, 4:11 p.m. ET

The 2024 class of the College Football Hall of Fame was announced this week, and a pair of local players made the list.

Former West Chester defensive lineman and head coach Danny Hale and former Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny were among the list of 22 names that included former NFL stars like Randy Moss, Julius Peppers, and Larry Fitzgerald, the latter who attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne.

Inductees will be honored during the National Football Foundation’s annual awards dinner on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.

In addition to being regaled for a remarkable head coaching career at Bloomsburg, Hale, a standout player at West Chester, coached his alma mater for four seasons in the 1980s. He led the Golden Rams to three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division titles and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1988, and finished with a 40-13 record as West Chester’s coach from 1984 to 1988.

“I have known Danny Hale for over 50 years, both as a coaching colleague and a friend,” former West Chester head coach Rick Daniels said in a statement released by the university. “Danny had a way of bringing out the best in his players and his coaches. This is a well-deserved honor.”

As a player, Hale was a part of two West Chester teams that reached the Citrus Bowl (then known as the Tangerine Bowl) in 1966 and 1967.

Posluszny becomes the 27th member (including coaches) in Penn State history to be elected. Known as a bruising linebacker, the two-time All-American is also a two-time winner of the Bednarik Award and a Dick Butkus Award winner.

He led the team in tackles three times and had three 100-tackle seasons. A second-round NFL draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2007, he played 11 years in the league, playing four seasons in Buffalo (2007 to 2010) and seven in Jacksonville (2011 to 2017) with the Jaguars.

“I am really excited for Paul Posluszny earning this well-deserved honor of being elected into the College Football Hall of Fame,” said Penn State head coach James Franklin in a statement. “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.”