Plymouth State Athletic Hall of Fame
JEFF MACK (‘09): Mack is one of just two running backs in Plymouth State football history to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and remains the all-time single-season rushing leader today. As an independent, the Panthers went 1-8 during his rookie campaign, but over his final two seasons in a run-heavy offense, Mack led Plymouth State to a 19-3 record, capturing the 2007 ECAC North Atlantic Bowl and literally carrying the squad to the 2008 NCAA tournament.
As a freshman, Mack gained both opportunities and experience as the season progressed. He debuted in Week 4 of his rookie campaign but would appear in every game the rest of the season, gradually increasing both his workload and productivity. He finished his freshman season with 209 yards and three scores.
A serious shoulder injury limited Mack to just two games in 2005, but he returned to the field in 2006 as the Panthers rejoined the New England Football Conference. Plymouth State went 4-3 in conference play while Mack appeared in all nine games, logging 108 carries for 580 yards to go with six touchdowns. Head coach Paul Castonia featured a run-heavy offense in Week 3 against UMass Dartmouth, where Mack posted the most productive day of his career to date with 86 yards and a touchdown in a win.
Mack opened eyes in the penultimate game of the season at MIT, totaling 93 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone. He topped the century mark for the first time that day, finishing with 101 yards on just eight carries. He capped the season with another 101 yards rushing and a score in a win over Salve Regina.
With Mack firmly entrenched as the featured back, the 2007 team went 6-1 in the NEFC Boyd Division and returned to the postseason. Mack was the driving force, piling up 1,353 yards with seven 100-yard rushing games. He scored in all but two contests, including five multi-touchdown games.
He ran for 110 yards and three touchdowns in the opener, 154 yards and a score in week two, and churned out 157 yards and two TDs in a week four victory, but Mack's most impressive stretch came over the final three games of the year. He sliced up the defense for 190 yards and two TDs in a shutout of MIT, then ran for 207 yards and two scores as the Panthers blanked Salve Regina in the finale. An excellent season was rewarded with a spot in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl.
Playing at home against Bridgewater State, Mack opened the scoring in the first quarter and his second TD run gave the Panthers a 21-14 halftime lead. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, Mack broke free for a big gain on fourth-and-one, helping to set up the game-winning field goal. He was named the game's Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 182 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Additional postseason honors soon followed. All-NEFC Boyd Division First Team, New England Football Writers All-New England Division II/III, and D3football.com All-East Region Third Team.
That was just the beginning, though, as Mack's 2008 season proved historic. He averaged just shy of 150 rushing yards per contest, with ten 100-yard rushing games and four 200-yard games, finding the end zone in all but two contests. He was dynamic in the opener with 204 yards and two scores. After a setback in week two, the Panthers responded with nine straight wins, with Mack topping the century mark eight times. The totals were outstanding. 26 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown, 218 yards with a score, 197 yards and a career-best four touchdowns, 227 yards on 22 carries with three scores. He followed with three straight games of two touchdowns each, piling up 114, 115, and 221 yards in three victories before Plymouth State dominated Salve Regina to win the Boyd Division crown.
Mack etched his name in the record books during the NEFC Championship Game at Maine Maritime. Finishing with 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns, he surpassed Joe Dudek for the single season rushing record and claimed Most Outstanding Player honors, securing the title and an NCAA Tournament berth for the Panthers.
He ran for exactly 100 yards in the NCAA Tournament matchup with SUNY Cortland, though the Red Dragons rallied to end the Panthers' season.
The list of postseason honors was prestigious. He repeated his All-NEFC First Team and New England Football Writers All-New England honors, adding D3football.com All-East Region Second Team, New Hampshire Union Leader Robert A. Rolfe Male Athlete of the Year, and Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Joe Zabilski Award as the top New England player in Divisions II and III to the list. The final numbers were staggering, 284 carries, 1,779 yards, 20 touchdowns, and an average of 6.3 yards per carry. He ranked in the top ten in the nation in rushing, while literally carrying the load for the Panthers, who ran the ball more than 88% of the time.
Mack finished his career with 3,944 rushing yards to rank second in program history, scoring 43 touchdowns in the process.
