42 days until Penn State football 2021 season opener

We are officially 42 days away from Penn State football!

42 is a pretty historic number in Penn State football history. There were three well-known players that gave it their all while wearing 42.

The first guy that we will be discussing today is former Penn State running back Lenny Moore. Moore played three seasons as a Nittany Lion (1953-1955) and posted a 1,000-yard rushing season and 11 touchdowns in his second year. Moore played 12 years in the NFL, where he was both a 5x All-Pro and 6x Pro Bowler. There wasn’t a ton of action from him in the passing game in college, but that changed in the NFL, where he played both running back and wide receiver.

Lenny Moore, star halfback of Pennsylvania State University football team, is presented the Patriot News Award from Charles “Rip” Engle, Penn State coach, after Moore was named Pennsylvania’s athlete of 1954 at a sports night program in Harrisbur, Pa., Feb. 4, 1955. (AP Photo)

D.J. Dozier

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The next player is another running back named D.J. Dozier. As you can tell, Penn State has done a good job of developing running backs and preparing them for the next level. Dozier was a part of the 1986 national championship team, where he was joined by Blair Thomas, two of one of the most iconic running back duos in Penn State football history. Dozier made a name for himself the second he stepped on the field. His best year came during his freshman year, where he recorded over 1,000 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The 1986 championship team was coached by Joe Paterno and lead by quarterback John Shaffer. The team lost to Oklahoma in the national championship game. Dozier was selected in the first round of the 1987 draft by the Minnesota Vikings,, where he played there for four seasons before ending his career with the Detroit Lions after the 1991 season. Dozier also played a year of Major League Baseball for the New York Mets in 1992.

Michael Mauti

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For the last player, we will move over to the defensive side of the ball for former linebacker Michael Mauti. Mauti was a member of the 2012 team, which was lead by quarterback Matt McGloin Sr. Mauti was a very productive player throughout his time at Penn State. He was a former All-American linebacker in the Big Ten who posted consistent numbers throughout his college career. He was selected in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2013 draft, where he spent two years of his career there before finishing out his NFL years with the Saints. All of these players left their legacy on the field at Penn State. In 42 days, we will see more players, whether it be upper or underclassmen, continue to make a name for themselves at State College.

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