Joe Puzyki, Class of 1982, of Bellefonte, was a four-year letterman with the Red Raider football team and he was co-captain of the 1981 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship team which compiled a record of 12-1 and reached the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II tournament. The Red Raiders were also the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Team of the Year and the winner of the Lambert Cup, which at that time went to the top Division I-AA or II team in the East. Puzycki’s leadership role and inspirational play was instrumental in developing the team chemistry that made the championship possible.
Puzycki broke into the starting lineup at linebacker his sophomore year and was leading the team in tackles when he was hurt in the seventh game of the season. He finished the year with 75 tackles, an average of 10.7 per game. Shippensburg finished the year with a 7-3 record and were co-champions of the PSAC Western Division.
The injury Puzycki suffered was severe and he was forced to miss the entire 1979 campaign. He returned to the team in 1980 but had to learn a new position at middle guard.
Puzycki was elected as one of the co-captains for 1981 and Shippensburg won the PSAC Western Division title and then faced Millersville in the 22nd annual State Game. The Red Raiders won that game 34-17 and finished the regular season with an 11-0 record.
The State Game may have been the best single performance of Puzycki’s career. He made 10 tackles, intercepted a pass and blocked a field goal. Puzycki finished the regular season with 91 tackles, the highest total among the team’s down linemen. He tied the team single season record for blocked kicks with four.
The week following the State Game, Shippensburg defeated second-ranked Virginia Union in the NCAA Division II tournament quarterfinals 40-27 and extended their winning streak to 12 games. The Red Raiders lost to North Dakota State 18-6 in the national semi-final game and they finished the year with an overall record of 12-1.
After graduating from Ship, Puzycki became the Director of Judicial Affairs at Penn State University.
