Paul Posluszny -- LB

[Don Wassall]

Junior Paul Posluszny of Penn State is playing as well as any linebacker in the country. He has 45 tackles in the past three games and has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in back to back weeks.

Jack Ham, former star Penn State LB and NFL Hall of Famer, calls Posluszny "one of the best linebackers ever at Penn State." That's saying something given that Ham, sadly, is a reliable espouser of pro-Caste System cliches and stereotypes in his post-NFL announcing career.

Read this article and you'll see the character of many a star white athlete still -- modest and humble to a fault, especially when the Caste System rewards self-promoting megalomaniacs over athletes with the traditional virtues Posluszny possesses.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05285/586893.stm

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

you are right Don. so many white athletes, regardless of their talent level, praise their teammates for their own success and deflect individual credit. they would rather talk about team goals, success, etc.

look at Andrew Pace at Vandy. the ONLY good player on the entire defense, he never points a negative finger, or cries about his lack of publicity despite being the best corner in the SEC. instead he espouses the virtues of all truly great men: belonging to something bigger than himself. whether it be as a member of the team, honors student, or president of the FCA, he, like most white players, rarely looks to place himself in the limelight.

 

[hedgehog]

There were a couple of plays he made against Ohio state, that were incredible. One play he chased down the Ohio state quarterback, who had taken off running to the outside. I think this guy would give A.J Hawk a run for his money in the 40, he is that fast. If I am not mistaken, didn't the sports announcer say that Posluszny was a standout running back in high school?

 

[Don Wassall]

You're right KJV1, he was a standout RB/LB at a high school that has enough blacks that they are almost always the tailbacks. He set Hopewell's single season rushing record.

[url]http://www.gopsusports.com/Football/people/Player.cfm?roster id=2255[/url]

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

this is not an unusual transition. lots of the best LBs in the country were standout TBs in high school. as we talk about constantly, the Caste System funnels them away from the higher profile "skill" positions.

but isn't it funny, how all these linebackers can be fast? but if the same guys were on the other side of the ball they would be merely "power" runners, ie. Brian Leonard. no matter how many guys he outruns, the media types never give him credit as being a burner.

 

[Don Wassall]

It's very true JC, that white LBs are "allowed" to be described as fast but white tailbacks rarely are. That's because linebacker is not seen as a true speed position, like the "black" positions of TB, WR, CB and safety, so calling a white linebacker fast is like calling a fullback fast; it still places him a notch or two below God's Chosen speedburners.

Most white linebackers in I-A and the NFL seem to be faster on average than black linebackers.

 

[Don Wassall]

Penn State ILB Dan Connor, who was more heralded than Posluszny coming into this season, isplaying now and is also kicking butt. Connor had been suspended by Joe Paterno for being part of a group of students who were making prank calls to a former Penn State employee. The media in Pennsylvania that covers PSU football lapped it up as if Connor was the second coming of Rae Carruth.


Posluszny and Connor are a one-two punch at linebacker comparable to Ohio State's one-two-three punch of Hawk, Schlegel and Carpenter.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I will still be pulling for Ohio State Saturday. Isn't Penn State's other starting LB, Tim Shaw, white as well?

 

[whiteCB]

Don you read my mind I was just about to do a post on Paul and Dan Connor as they are having just fantastic seasons. Though here is a question to ponder, with Paul getting all of this well deserved recognition and being the great player he is will he jump to the NFL after this season or stay at Penn State? I t really think he'll stay as he's just a great role model who wants to get his degree and is having just too good a time at college just like Hawk. Dan Connor is sick as well and that other LB Shaw guy isn't bad either.

 

[Don Wassall]

CB, I haven't read anything about Paul going pro after this season. It's still rare for white players to leave college early, though blacks have been doing it in numbers for quite some time. Given that I-A is essentially the NFL's farm league and the schools make lots of money off the players I think any white football player who is ready for the NFL and would be a high draft pick should go for it.

 

[whiteCB]

AJ Hawk would have been a 1st RD pick in April's draft but he stayed in school and will probably be a top 5 or 10 pick. I think Paul should stay in school as this year there are alot of great senior LBs in the draft with Spencer Havner, Will Derting, and Bobby Carpenter to name a few.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's another very complimentary article about Paul. Looks like his choices are to go pro after this year and maybe be a high draft pick, or wait till after his senior year and likely bethe first linebacker selected in '07.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05312/602421.stm

 

[whiteCB]

Great article Don. Ham was right on when he said Paul should follow Hawk's path and stay another year. Hawk could now be a top 5 pick compared to being a mid 1st RD pick last year and the exact same thing could be said for Paul. I think Paul will stay.

 

[Don Wassall]

Paul was injured in the fourth quarter of the game against Florida State. Fortunately it's not as bad as it looked:
<H2>Posluszny won't need surgery</H2>


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06007/634138.stm

 

[Don Wassall]

Looks like Paul will be returning to PSU for his senior season. Don't you just love the "white man's reason" for returning that is thrown in this article along with his knee injury: "First, Posluszny knows a final year will keep him with the teammates he respects."


Oh, really? Do you ever see that in an article as a reason for a black player not to go pro? And does that mean if Posluszny goes to the NFL he won't have teammates he respects there?


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06010/635316.stm

 

[Colonel_Reb]

His teammates better respect him, and what he brings to their defense. I'm glad he's staying though. Maybe he can win the Butkus 2 years in a row!

 

[whiteCB]

Posluszny will be the AJ Hawk for next years college football season. Everybody will acknowledge him next year, just like Hawk this year, as the best defensive player in college football. He'll also be a top 10 pick next year by staying in school. I'm glad he's staying and he made the right decision.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Paul wins the Bednarik award yet again! The guy is a good athlete, not great athlete. More notably though he has amazing on feild instincts and competitiveness. There have been lots of top tier white LB talent though, with "freak athleticism...It leads me to question why so many people don't get the caste system when there are unbelievably athletic white linebackers such as AJ Hawk last year in college (or in the pros Urlacher, Brooking) who can usually make the open feild tackle no matter what running back on the opposing team they're playing against .

I think it takes just as much athletic ability to tackle Larry Johnson or Tiki in the open field as it does to make LBs miss the tackle running the ball...a tackler doesn't just have to touch the ball carrier he has to power him to the ground while the RB tries to juke him out...In fact this may take more athletic ability! Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Extra Point]

I always thought Paul Posluszny looks somewhat like Dudley Doright

 

[Extra Point]

Posluszny signed a contract extension with the Jaguars that will keep him with the team through the 2017 season.

Posluszny is a solid player. The contract extension was a good move by the Jaguars.