(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Just under a year after announcing his reitrement, Paul Posluszny will have his name eternally enshrined.

The former Hopewell graduate joins a stacked group for the WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Posluszny graduated a Viking in 2002, before becoming a 2-time All-American at Penn State and getting drafted 34th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2007 NFL Draft. He would play 11 seasons in the NFL; four in Buffalo and the remaining seven in Jacksonville.

“Puz”, as some called him, will be joined by former Beaver Falls and Monaca football coach Larry Bruno, who will be inducted in the Heritage category. Bruno started at Monaca in 1949, and won the 1960 WPIAL Championship in football for Beaver Falls, coaching future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.

Posluszny is also joined by former Steelers backup Charlie Batch, the Steel Valley graduate who led the Ironmen to a 1991 PIAA Championship before pursuing a 12-year NFL Career with Detroit (4) and Pittsburgh (8). Batch is a two-time Super Bowl Winner as a backup to current Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Also getting inducted to the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2019 are the 1998 Rochester Rams football team that won WPIAL & PIAA gold, former Steelers backup Bruce Gradkowski, and former 3-time MLB All-Star Sean Casey.

The induction ceremony will take place on June 1 at the DoubleTree in Greentree.