Today, with only 98 days left until Buckeye fans finally get their football fix, we salute Joel Penton (2002-06). Joel Penton was a solid player at Defensive Tackle with the Buckeyes playing in a surprising 38 straight games during the course of his career. His final season with the Buckeyes saw him backing up David Patterson on the D-line, though as we all know even the backups on the DL are of critical importance.
During that final season Penton was awarded the “Wuerffel Trophy“, sometimes known as the “Humanitarian Heisman”, for being the player that “best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.” Penton was only the second player ever to win the award, and to date remains the only defensive player to be selected.
Joel decided to forgo an NFL career in order to pursue a full-time career in public speaking. Currently, he serves as the Community Director for the Central Ohio Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and speaks often at schools around the state. Apparently, he is one of the best public speakers to ever grace the school assembly circuit. I’m sure his 5 rings help that quite a bit!
98 days left!
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