In joining Charlie’s Top PSU moments, we’ve added another daily countdown feature here at NittanyWhiteOut. We’ll be measuring up the 50 most important players to Penn State’s success in the 2009 season. You may have noticed that we’ve slacked off a little lately, but expect a few daily doses of Counting Down the Lions until we’re all caught up.

Checking in at #34 is the first player with extensive starting experience in this countdown: Josh Hull.

Number: 43
Position: Middle Linebacker
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height: 6′3
Weight: 236
Hometown: Millheim, PA
How’d He Get Here: Lightly recruited out of high school, Josh Hull walked on to Penn State’s football team, thought he did receive some interest from a few smaller schools.  The lack of interest in Hull was a bit surprising, as he was a standout in high school, a three year starter and team captain at Penns Valley and was named an all-conference player at linebacker in his senior season.  Penn State certainly didn’t expect Hull to make this sort of impact when they offered him a spot on the team, but when it comes to walk-ons, Hull is just one of a number who had success in the Blue and White
2008 Results:  After Sean Lee tore up his knee in spring practice last year, it was suggested that Penn State–Linebacker U–’s biggest weakness would be, ironically, in its linebacking corps.  And while Navorro Bowman stepped up and became a star, it was largely Hull’s efforts in solidifying the middle that helped Penn State’s linebackers remain one of the strongest units on the team.  Overcoming scholarship players like Chris Colasanti, Hull rose up to secure the starting MLB job. Hullranked 2nd on the team with 75 tackles, though 34 were assisted.  He also ranked 5th on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss, and added a single sack, interception, and two fumble recoveries.  While his individual game efforts were a little erratic, as a whole, Hull enjoyed a highly successful season for any player, much less a former walk-on.
What to Expect in 2009: Though Sean Lee played outside linebacker in 2007, his last healthy year, that was mainly due to the presence of Dan Connor in the middle.  He had been practicing inside before his injury in 2008, and it’s likely he’ll slot in there this coming season.  With the rise of young linebacker Michael Mauti, and to a lesser extent Nate Stupar, Hull might well be relegated to backup status.  Still, his seniority means that he’ll have to be forced out of the role, because we know how Joe Paterno favors the more experienced members of his team.  Nonetheless, he should see plenty of playing time, whether it’s as a starter or as one of the top backups in the linebacking crew.
Random Facts: Josh Hull is one of those students who makes Joe Paterno proud, as his Grand Experiment surely wasn’t wasted on a player like Hull.  He’s a two-time Academic All Big Ten honoree, and last year was named to ESPN’s Academic All-American first team.  With a 3.5 GPA in environmental systems engineering (yeah, I have no idea what that means, either, but it sounds hard), and multiple listings on Graham Spanier’s Dean’s List, Hull is a shining example of Penn State football’s commitment to academic excellence.
The Final Word: As much as I hate to do it, one has to make a distinction between Josh Hull the person and Josh Hull the football player.  As an individual, there’s not a single thing you could ask more out of Hull.  To go from a walk-on to a starting linebacker proves commitment enough, but to maintain a GPA that would make most students blush at the same time is simply remarkable.  When it comes to hard work and determination, Hull should be praised to the rafters, as he exemplifies the Penn State standard.  However, as a football player, Hull was frustratingly inconsistent.  It is Hull’s incredibly high football IQ that puts him in position to make all the plays, but his lack of high-end talent that often saw him lagging behind.  At times, Hull looked exactly like you would expect a former walk-on to play, but in other instances, he looked like a 4 or 5 star player.  Penn State is probably better off with Michael Mauti, or even Nate Stupar, in the starting lineup than with Hull there, but that’s not an indictment on Hull.  He’s an real class act, and one of the good guys, not just for Penn State, but in the entirety of college football.  It’s a story like Hull’s that makes NCAA football so great: a walk-on who did so much more than Rudy.  Rudy didn’t start for an entire season at one of the most storied positions in college football.  Hull did, and when he’s older, he’ll have some great stories to tell his grandkids.

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