 Posluszny during the2014 Pro Bowl | |||||||||||||||
| No. 51 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1984-10-10)October 10, 1984 (age 41) Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Hopewell(Aliquippa, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Penn State (2003–2006) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2007: 2nd round, 34th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Paul Michael Posluszny (/pəzˈlʌzni/; born October 10, 1984) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for eleven seasons in theNational Football League (NFL), primarily with theJacksonville Jaguars. He playedcollege football for thePenn State Nittany Lions, winning theChuck Bednarik Award twice and theDick Butkus Award once. He was selected by theBuffalo Bills in the second round of the2007 NFL draft. Following four years in Buffalo, Posluszny spent the remainder of his career with the Jaguars. Posluszny earnedPro Bowl honors during the 2013 season after leading the league in solotackles. He was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
Posluszny was born inButler, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1984. He is ofPolish descent (his surname in Polish means 'obedient').[1] He was a starhalfback andlinebacker atHopewell High School inHopewell Township,Beaver County, Pennsylvania. In 2002, his senior year, he helped lead the Vikings to the WPIAL championship with an 8–1 record, followed by the AAA State Championship.[2]
Posluszny played football atPenn State University from 2003 to 2006.[3] He debuted in the fifth game of his 2003 freshman season, and in the last game of the season made his first career start atMichigan State. During the season, he recorded 36tackles, aninterception (which he returned for atouchdown against Indiana), afumble recovery, and was named to theBig Ten All-Freshman team byThe Sporting News.
In 2004, he was named as a second-teamAll-Big Ten player as well as earning academic All-Big Ten honors. Prior to that season he changed to jersey No. 31, in honor of former Penn State players who had worn the number includingAll-AmericansShane Conlan andAndre Collins. He started in all 11 games and led his team with 104 tackles, and his 9.5 tackles per game average put him in a tie for fifth in the Big Ten. He also recorded 12 tackles for loss and three sacks, helping Penn State reach the national top 10 in scoring and total defense. In fact, the defense did not allow an opponent to reach over 21 points in a game all season. He also caught an interception, broke up three passes and forced a fumble on the season. He won the Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Week for his performance againstIndiana, making 13 tackles and playing a key role in Penn State's goal-line stand to ensure the win.
In 2005, Posluszny became the first junior captain for Penn State sinceMike Reid andSteve Smear in 1968. He posted 116 tackles on the season, 14 for loss, and 4 sacks, including a 22-tackle game againstNorthwestern.[4][5] He was named Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Week a record-breaking three consecutive times. He then joinedLaVar Arrington as the second Penn State player to win both theChuck Bednarik andDick Butkus Awards as the College Defensive Player and Linebacker of the Year respectively, and was named as a member of the2005 All-America Team.[6][7][8] He helped lead the Penn State Nittany Lions to a win in the2006 Orange Bowl againstFlorida State but left the game in the fourth quarter after partially tearing two ligaments in his knee; the injury did not require surgery.[9][10] He subsequently announced that he planned to return to Penn State for his senior year of college, rather than declare himself eligible for the2006 NFL draft, a decision which, a year later, was considered "a boon," with Posluszny completing the 2006 season with 116 tackles and a school-high career total 372 tackles.[11]
In 2006, he continued captaincy, along withLevi Brown.Jack Ham, former All-American Linebacker at Penn State, said that Posluszny was the greatest linebacker to ever play at Penn State.[12] On November 4, 2006, he brokeGreg Buttle's school record for tackles.[13] Posluszny had 372 career tackles, with 116 of them coming during that season, including 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.[14][15] (The Penn State tackle record was surpassed shortly after by fellow linebackerDan Connor.) Posluszny won the 2006Chuck Bednarik Award to become only the second person (afterPat Fitzgerald) to win the award two times.[6] Posluszny was also named a member of the2006 All-America Team, the first Penn State linebacker to be a two-time Associated Press All-American.[16]
Posluszny graduated a semester early in December 2006 with aBachelor of Science in finance and a 3.57 GPA. He is a two-timeESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and was named 2006 Academic All-American of the Year. He was also a finalist for theDraddy Trophy, which is presented to the nations' top student-athlete.[17]
Posluszny was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2024.[18]
Posluszny was graded high in the NFL Combine.[19]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+5⁄8 in (1.87 m) | 238 lb (108 kg) | 33+3⁄4 in (0.86 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.58 s | 1.53 s | 2.61 s | 4.20 s | 6.94 s | 37 in (0.94 m) | 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) | 22 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[20][21] | ||||||||||||
TheBuffalo Bills selected Posluszny in the second round with the 34th overall pick in the2007 NFL draft.[22] The Bills traded their second (43rd overall) and third round (74th overall) picks to move up nine spots and select Posluszny. The Lions went on to selectDrew Stanton with their second round pick (43rd overall) and traded their third round pick (74th overall) to theBaltimore Ravens.[23] He was the fourth linebacker selected in 2007, after futurePro bowlersPatrick Willis,Lawrence Timmons, andJon Beason.[22]
On July 26, 2007, the Bills signed Posluszny to a four-year,$4.75 millioncontract that includes $2.55 million guaranteed.[24]
Throughout training camp, Posluszny competed against veteranJohn DiGiorgio for the job as the starting middle linebacker after it was left vacant by the departure ofLondon Fletcher.[24] Head coachDick Jauron named Posluszny the starting middle linebacker to start the regular season.[25]
He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in theBills' season-opener against theDenver Broncos and recorded ten combined tackles (nine solo) in their 15–14 loss.[26] The following week, he recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles (five solo) during a 26–3 loss at thePittsburgh Steelers.[27] On September 23, 2007, Posluszny made four combined tackles before leaving in the third quarter after suffering a broken left forearm in their 38–7 loss at theNew England Patriots.[28] He was placed oninjured reserve, ending his rookie season. At the time of his injury, he was third in the league with 26 combined tackles, which was tied for the most tackles among rookies withPatrick Willis. He finished his rookie season with 26 combined tackles (17 solo) in three starts and three games.[29]
Posluszny returned as the starting middle linebacker in 2008, along with outside linebackersAngelo Crowell andKawika Mitchell.[30] On December 7, 2008, Posluszny recorded a season-high 11 combined tackles (eight solo) in the Bills' 16–3 loss to theMiami Dolphins.[31] The following week, Posluszny recorded five combined tackles, two pass break ups, and made his first career interception off of quarterbackBrett Favre during the Bills' 31–27 loss at theNew York Jets.[32] Posluszny finished the 2008 season with 110 combined tackles (87 solo), six pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[33] He was named the Bills' DefensiveMVP.[34]
Head coach Dick Jauron named Posluszny the starting middle linebacker along with outside linebackersKawika Mitchell andKeith Ellison to begin the regular season.[35] Posluszny was one of sixteam captains selected prior to the start of the2009 season.[36]
He started theBills' season-opener against theNew England Patriots and recorded six solo tackles before leaving the 25–24Monday Night Football loss in the first quarter after breaking a bone in his left forearm.[37] The injury was expected to sideline him for at least six weeks, but Posluszny was able to recover quickly and returned in four weeks while missing only four games (Weeks 2–5). He returned in Week 6 and recorded nine combined tackles, one pass deflection, and an interception during a 16–13 victory at theNew York Jets.[38] On November 15, 2009, Posluszny recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles (ten solo) in their 41–17 loss at theTennessee Titans.[39] Head coachDick Jauron was fired two days later after the Bills started the season with a 3–6 record.[40] Defensive coordinatorPerry Fewell was elevated to interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[41] The next week, Posluszny collected a season-high tying 12 combined tackles (11 solo) in the Bills' 18–15 loss at theJacksonville Jaguars.[42] In Week 13, he recorded five solo tackles and made his first career sack on quarterbackMark Sanchez in the Bills' 16–13 loss to theNew York Jets.[43] On December 20, 2009, Posluszny made nine combined tackles and interceptedTom Brady for his third pick of the season as the Bills lost to theNew England Patriots 17–10.[44] He finished his third season with 111 combined tackles (88 solo), four pass deflections, three interceptions, and one sack in 12 games and 12 starts.[45] The Bills finished the 2009 season fourth in theAFC East and did not qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season after finishing with a 6–10 record.[46][47]
On January 20, 2010, the Bills announced that they hired formerDallas Cowboys' head coachChan Gailey as their new head coach.[48] Defensive coordinatorGeorge Edwards decided not to continue to use a base4-3 defense and installed a3-4 defense that relied heavily on the linebacking core and used two inside linebackers instead of a sole middle linebacker. Throughouttraining camp, Posluszny competed to be a starting inside linebacker againstKawika Mitchell andAndra Davis.[49] Head coach Chan Gailey named Posluszny and Andra Davis the starting inside linebackers, along with outside linebackersChris Kelsay andAaron Maybin.[50]
He started theBills' season-opener against theMiami Dolphins and recorded eight combined tackles and a sack as the Bills lost 15–10.[51] He left the game during the third quarter after sustaining an apparent knee injury while tackling running backRonnie Brown with two teammates.[52] The following day, it was revealed that Posluszny had suffered a sprainedMCL and was expected to be sidelined for only two weeks (Weeks 2–3).[53] On October 31, 2010, Posluszny recorded a season-high 17 combined tackles (11 solo) and broke up a pass during a 13–10 loss at theKansas City Chiefs.[54] In Week 13, he collected 15 combined tackles (11 solo) and sacked quarterbackTarvaris Jackson as the Bills were routed by theMinnesota Vikings 38–14.[55] Throughout the season, Posluszny had ten games with at least ten combined tackles.[56] He finished his final season in Buffalo with 151 combined tackles (103 solo), four pass deflections, and two sacks in 14 games and 14 starts.[57]
On March 1, 2011, the Bills assigned a one-year free agent tender to Posluszny.[58] The tender became null and void, making Posluszny anunrestricted free agent after the signing of theNFL Collective Bargaining Agreement by theNFLPA that ended a four-month lockout.[59] General managerBuddy Nix and Posluszny showed mutual interest on an extension, with Posluszny saying his first intention is to consider re-signing.[60] After his departure, Posluszny stated he felt he was not in their plans and not a fit for the team once Nix stated the Bills' desire to have him around 245–250 lbs.[61]
On July 29, 2011, theJacksonville Jaguars signed Posluszny to a six-year, $45 million contract that includes $13 million guaranteed and asigning bonus of $10 million.[62][63]
He entered training camp slated as the starting middle linebacker in defensive coordinatorMel Tucker's base 4–3 defense after the role was left vacant byKirk Morrison who coincidentally departed for theBuffalo Bills.[64] Head coachJack Del Rio officially named him the starter along with outside linebackersDaryl Smith andClint Session.[65]
He made his Jaguars regular season debut in theJaguars' season-opener against theTennessee Titans and made four combined tackles and a pass deflection in a 16–14 victory.[66] On October 16, 2011, Posluszny recorded a season-high 16 combined tackles (nine solo) in the Jaguars' 17–13 loss at thePittsburgh Steelers.[67] In Week 10, he made six combined tackles, a pass deflection, assisted on a sack, and intercepted a pass byCurtis Painter in a 17–3 win at theIndianapolis Colts.[68] On November 29, 2012, the Jaguars fired head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was promoted to interim head coach for the rest of the season.[69] Posluszny finished the2011 season with 119 combined tackles (69 solo), a career-high nine pass deflections, two sacks, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.[70]
On January 11, 2012, the Jaguars hiredAtlanta Falcons' offensive coordinatorMike Mularkey.[71] Mularkey opted to retain defensive coordinator Mel Tucker with Posluszny, Smith, and Session remaining as the starting linebacker core.[72]
On November 15, 2012, Posluszny recorded 15 combined tackles (nine solo), a pass deflection and intercepted a pass byMatt Schaub during the Jaguars' 43–37 loss at theHouston Texans.[73] In Week 17, he made ten combined tackles and sacked quarterbackJake Locker twice as the Jaguars lost 38–20 at theTennessee Titans. This marked his first career multi-sack game.[74] He set a single-season franchise record with 139 combined tackles (106 solo), seven pass deflections, three interceptions, and two sacks in 16 games and 16 starts.[75]
On January 10, 2013, the Jaguars fired head coach Mike Mularkey after a single season where the Jaguars finished 2–14.[76] On January 17, 2013, general managerDave Caldwell announcedSeattle Seahawks' defensive coordinatorGus Bradley as the Jaguars' new head coach.[77] Defensive coordinatorBob Babich retained the 4–3 base defense and Posluszny remained the starting middle linebacker alongside outside linebackersRussell Allen andGeno Hayes.[78]
On October 13, 2013, Posluszny recorded seven solo tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception off a pass byPeyton Manning for a 59-yard score to mark his first career touchdown in the Jaguars' 35–19 loss at theDenver Broncos.[79] It was the first interception thrown by Manning in his record-setting regular season. In Week 10, Posluszny made eight combined tackles in a 29–27 win at theTennessee Titans.[80] He left during the third quarter after suffering aconcussion and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.[81] The concussion sidelined him for the Jaguars' Week 11 loss to theArizona Cardinals. The injury ended his streak of 54 consecutive starts.[82] On January 20, 2014, Posluszny was named to his firstPro Bowl, replacingSan Francisco 49ers linebackerPatrick Willis.[83] He finished the2013 season with a career-high 162 combined tackles (122 solo), nine pass deflections, three sacks, two interceptions, and one touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.[84]
He returned as the starting middle linebacker in 2014 with starting outside linebackersLaRoy Reynolds and Geno Hayes.[85] He started theJaguars' season-opener at thePhiladelphia Eagles and recorded a season-high 11 solo tackles and an assisted tackle in their 34–17 loss.[86] In Week 7, Posluszny tied his season-high of 12 combined tackles and sackedBrian Hoyer during the Jaguars' 24–6 win against theCleveland Browns.[87] He left the game in the third quarter after sustaining an injury that was later discovered to be a tornpectoral muscle. Posluszny was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season and led the team with 69 combined tackles at the time of his injury.[88] He finished the season with 69 combined tackles (42 solo), two pass deflections, and one sack in seven games and seven starts.[89]
On April 16, 2015, the Jaguars and Posluszny agreed to restructure his contract to a three-year, $15 million contract extension with $3.95 million guaranteed.[63]
Posluszny remained the starting middle linebacker, but was now playing alongsideTelvin Smith andDan Skuta to start the regular season.[90] In Week 3, he collected a career-high 18 combined tackles (14 solo) as the Jaguars were routed by theNew England Patriots 51–17.[91] The following week, he made five combined tackles in a 16–13 loss at the Indianapolis Colts before leaving with an ankle injury.[92] He missed Jacksonville's Week 5 loss at theTampa Bay Buccaneers due to the high ankle sprain.[93] On December 6, 2015, Posluszny made 13 combined tackles during a 42–39 loss at theTennessee Titans. He left the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a broken right hand.[94] He missed the Jaguars' Week 14 victory against theIndianapolis Colts. On December 20, 2015, Posluszny collected ten combined tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass byMatt Ryan during a 23–17 loss to theAtlanta Falcons.[95] He finished the2015 season with 133 combined tackles (103 solo), six pass deflections, three interceptions, and a sack in 14 games and 14 starts.[96]
On January 5, 2016, defensive coordinator Bob Babich was fired after the Jaguars defense finished 31st in points allowed per game and 24th the previous season.[97] On January 22, 2016, the Jaguars' announced that defensive line coachTodd Wash would be promoted to defensive coordinator.[98] During organized team activities and the start of training camp, Posluszny competed for the job as the starting middle linebacker against rookieMyles Jack.[99] Head coachGus Bradley named Posluszny the starting middle linebacker along with starting outside linebackers Dan Skuta and Telvin Smith to begin the regular season.[100]
On September 25, 2016, Posluszny recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt by quarterbackJoe Flacco in the Jaguars' 19–17 loss to theBaltimore Ravens. The following game, he made seven combined tackles and 1.5 sacks onAndrew Luck during a 30–27 victory against theIndianapolis Colts atWembley Stadium.[101] In Week 6, he tied his season-high of 10 solo tackles as the Jaguars earned a 17–16 victory at theChicago Bears.[102] On December 18, 2016, the Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley after they lost at theHouston Texans and had a 2–12 record. Assistant head coach/offensive line coachDoug Marrone was promoted to interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[103] Posluszny finished the2016 season with 133 combined tackles (97 solo), a career-high 14 quarterback hurries, three pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[104]
On January 9, 2017, the Jaguars chose interim head coach Doug Marrone to be the full-time head coach entering the 2017 season.[105] Marrone retained Todd Wash as the Jaguars defensive coordinator and hiredPerry Fewell as defensive backs coach who was Posluszny's former defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills. On April 18, 2017, it was announced by the Jaguars' coaching staff that Myles Jack would enter organized team activities as the starting middle linebacker and Paul Posluszny would take over the starting strongside linebacker role previously held by Jack and the recently departedDan Skuta.[106] Posluszny returned to his middle linebacker position after Jack reverted to his strongside linebacker position due to his inability to adjust to his new role and his difficulty performing the required duties during the Jaguars' first preseason game against theNew England Patriots.[107]
In Week 13, Posluszny recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles and made 1.5 sacks on quarterbackJacoby Brissett as the Jaguars defeated theIndianapolis Colts 30–10.He finished the2017 season with 61 combined tackles (42 solo), two pass deflections, and 1.5 sacks in 16 games and 11 starts.[108][109]
The Jaguars finished first in theAFC South with a 10–6 record and received a playoff berth.[110] This was the first time in Posluszny's career his team had a winning record and made the playoffs.[111] On January 7, 2018, Posluszny started his first career playoff game, but was held without a tackle as the Jaguars defeated theBuffalo Bills in the AFCWild Card Round.[112] The following week, Posluszny made three combined tackles and a pass deflection in a 45–42 victory against his home statePittsburgh Steelers in theDivisional Round.[113] The Jaguars were eliminated by theNew England Patriots in the following game with Posluszny collecting three solo tackles in the Jaguars' 24–20AFC Championship loss.[114]
On March 13, 2018, Posluszny announced his retirement from the NFL.[115][116]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2007 | BUF | 3 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | BUF | 16 | 16 | 110 | 87 | 23 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| 2009 | BUF | 12 | 12 | 111 | 88 | 23 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 17 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010 | BUF | 14 | 14 | 151 | 103 | 48 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2011 | JAX | 16 | 16 | 119 | 69 | 50 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2012 | JAX | 16 | 16 | 139 | 106 | 33 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| 2013 | JAX | 15 | 15 | 162 | 122 | 40 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 34.5 | 59T | 1 | 9 |
| 2014 | JAX | 7 | 7 | 69 | 47 | 22 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | JAX | 14 | 14 | 133 | 103 | 30 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 19 | 0 | 6 |
| 2016 | JAX | 16 | 16 | 133 | 97 | 36 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | JAX | 16 | 11 | 61 | 43 | 18 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | 145 | 140 | 1,214 | 882 | 332 | 16.0 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 145 | 9.7 | 59T | 1 | 51 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2017 | JAX | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
On July 6, 2013, Posluszny married fellow Penn State graduate Elizabeth Sarah Johnson inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before the start of the 2013 regular season.[117] They delayed theirBora Bora honeymoon until after the season ended, but postponed it again after Posluszny was voted to the Pro Bowl.[83]
Despite wearing No. 31 like his idolShane Conlan at Penn State, Posluszny chose No. 51 when joining the Bills as a rookie instead of No. 58, which was available and was the number Conlan wore with the Bills.[118]
Media related toPaul Posluszny at Wikimedia Commons