A. J. Pagano
American college football player for Washington & Jefferson College
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfred J. "A.J." Pagano[4] is a former college football player for Washington & Jefferson College. During his playing career, he was one of the most prominent NCAA Division III football players, gaining national attention and honors.
| No. 43[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Knoch High School[2] |
| College | Washington & Jefferson (1984–1987) |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
He attended Knoch High School, graduating in 1984.[2] He was a leader of Knoch's Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship in 1983.[5]
He attended Washington & Jefferson College, majoring in business, where he played for the football team.[6][3] He helped bring the Washington & Jefferson football team back to prominence; his success as a running back is credited with helping to improve recruiting efforts.[5] In his freshman year, he led the Presidents to the NCAA Division III playoffs, their first post-season appearance since the 1922 Rose Bowl.[3] He played multiple roles for the Presidents, gaining the nickname of "Mr. Everything."[2] By his sophomore year, his coach John Luckhardt said that he was already among the greatest running backs in college history.[2] During his career, he led the team to three Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships and four appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs[3] He was a named to the All-PAC team four times (1984–1987).[3] He was named PAC MVP and All-American twice.[3] At the end of his college career, he was second in NCAA Division III history in total scoring, with 261 points.[6]
In July 1988, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.[7] He was cut later that year, returning to his hometown to help manage his family's flooring business.[5] He now resides in Butler, Pennsylvania where he is married with one son.
He currently holds the college record for all purpose yards in a single game (357), as well as other rushing records.[1] He was inducted into the Washington & Jefferson Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.[3]