Oregon State’s Jack Colletto was rewarded for a career of versatility on Wednesday, when the senior linebacker was honored as the 2022 Paul Hornung Award winner.
The Hornung award, established in 2010, honors the nation’s top major college football player who displays the versatility of Hornung, a former Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers star was known for his ability to successfully play both sides of the football.
Colletto, a Camas High graduate, played myriad positions throughout his Oregon State tenure and became a fan favorite because of it. Recruited to play quarterback in 2018, Colletto moved to linebacker in 2019, then ended up playing all over the field. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound senior never left offense, becoming a popular option for the Beavers in short yardage situations. Colletto also plays on all four of Oregon State’s special teams units.
Colletto, known as “Jack Hammer,” is Oregon State’s first Hornung Award winner. The award ceremony for Colletto and his family will take place March 13 in Louisville.
“This accomplishment is a huge honor and I am grateful to win this award,” Colletto told The Oregonian/OregonLive via text message. “This award was not only won by my efforts, but the efforts and dedication of many around me. I couldn’t thank enough my teammates who have helped pave the way for my successful and the coaches for ultimately believing in me.”
Colletto said he doesn’t know a lot about Hornung, “although I should do some research after final(s) week.” The first time Colletto heard about the award was the first time he was honored as a weekly winner.
“It interested me right away when I first found out what it was and what it represented,” Colletto wrote.
Previous Hornung winners include Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, LSU’s Odell Beckham, Washington’s Shaq Thompson and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley. The first Hornung winner was Stanford’s Owen Marecic, a Jesuit High graduate.
Colletto’s primary position is linebacker, but he’s best known for his offensive work. Colletto has played wildcat quarterback, fullback, H-back and receiver this season. He rushed 25 times for 86 yards and six touchdowns, while completing both of his pass attempts for 53 yards. Colletto also caught three passes for 46 yards. He has played in 42 games during his Oregon State career and was named the all-Pac-12 first-team as an all-purpose player for the 2022 season.
On defense, Colletto has 23 tackles, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble this season.
During his career, Colletto has scored 22 touchdowns on 108 rushing attempts.
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel