CLEVELAND — “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference.”
University of Mount Union running back Josh Petruccelli chose not to follow the advice of famed poet Robert Frost, and instead, went down a path that had been cleared by former Purple Raiders rushers, and yet, he is forming his own legacy with a program rich in history.
“Definitely, coming in on my visit, I knew,” Petruccelli said. “Knowing the great tradition of running backs also with Chuck Moore, Dan Pugh, Nate Kmic, B.J. Mitchell, Logan Nemeth and all of them, it helped me on my decision to come here.
“I wouldn’t have ever guessed that my name would be anywhere near those players because they’re such good players. It’s just awesome to hear my name next to them.”
On just 186 carries this year, Petruccelli has gained 1,310 yards, an average of 7.0 yards per attempt, and 18 touchdowns.
Earlier this season, Petruccelli became Mount Union’s first running back since Nate Kmic (2005-2008) to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons with the Purple Raiders, a fact that has not been lost on the junior from Perry, Ohio.
“It means a lot because coming in as a freshman, I didn’t think I’d get as much playing time as I did,” Petruccelli said. “Then, accomplishing the 1,000-yard mark in the postseason was a great accomplishment, especially because I didn’t know this until it was posted that the last running back to do that was Nate Kmic in his first three years, so I take great accomplishment in that.
“I believe it’s something to work forward to each year, just keep on getting better throughout, and hopefully, next year, it’s the same thing, another 1,000-yard season.”
In each of his first three years, Petruccelli has increased his rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns, and with another deep postseason run, he is on pace to surpass the 1,531 yards and 19 touchdowns he accounted for during the 2018 season.
And while Petruccelli shared the credit for his success with the offensive linemen, Mount Union coach Vince Kehres gave his running back respect for doing the work that nobody sees, both at practice in season and during the offseason program.
“With Josh, he’s the type of running back that gets better as the game goes on,” Kehres said. “The more carries that he has, the more we need him in the games, and it seems the better he performs, and it seems to be that way as the season goes on, too, as we get later in the season.
“Last year, we had some injuries at quarterback and we had to really give him the ball a lot down the stretch. He was really up to the task and played extremely well. I think that’s how his career is going for him, too. He got off to a good start, and just has not been content, just continued to get better each year.”
Although Petruccelli has accomplished plenty of success individually, both this year and throughout his Mount Union career, he is focused on leaving no stone unturned in trying to get back to the top of NCAA Division III after finishing as the national runner-up in 2018.
“It’s definitely something I look forward to just because of the bitter taste we had after the game last year, losing it,” Petruccelli said. “I’m excited to work, go 1-0 each week, and hopefully, 15-0 by the end of the year.”