CRANBERRY TWP — Some former athletes are synonymous with a particular sport at their alma mater, even years after they graduate.

Such is the case with Seneca Valley’s Rick Ley.

The 1981 graduate was a star at linebacker for three seasons for the Raiders’ football team, still holding the program’s record for career tackles at 379.

Ley will be one of seven people inducted into the Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame in September.

He began playing football in the sixth grade in a midget league that included teams from Cranberry Township, Zelienople and Evans City.

After suiting up for Seneca Valley’s 9th grade team, Ley was ready to make an immediate impact for head coach Guff Wiegand’s varsity squad as a sophomore. He made 123 tackles that year, beginning a string of three straight seasons of leading the team in stops.

“I studied a lot of film and knew where the ball was going on a lot of plays,” said Ley. “I loved to hit and played with a lot of heart and passion, but another thing that helped me was the defense I played in. It was made for linebackers. It allowed me to go from sideline to sideline.”

The Raiders were a respectable 9-11 in Ley’s first two seasons at Seneca, but the team struggled to a 1-9 record his senior year.

“That was a rebuilding year for us,” he said. “We lost a couple of key players from the year before. One kid moved across the country and another one went to military school. And we played a lot of schools with much bigger enrollments, which was a big disadvantage for us. Guff knew we were going to struggle that year.”

Ley’s play, however, remained a strength for the team. He made 119 tackles and was named Team MVP.

“My time playing football at Seneca Valley, it was awesome,” said Ley. “We had a great group of coaches and I developed so much camaraderie with my teammates.”

Ley also contributed as a running back on offense, rushing for 1,224 combined yards, most of them coming during his junior and senior seasons. But it was his play at linebacker that landed him a scholarship at California (Pa.) University. He became a starter there his sophomore year and earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior. He was named the Vulcans’ MVP in 1984.

His standout individual play was coupled with team success as Cal won a conference title during his junior campaign.

Shortly after graduating in 1985, Ley was afforded an experience he will never forget.

“My defensive coordinator at Cal was Bob Haley (brother of former Director of Player Personnel for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dick Haley). Bob had a lot of connections in the NFL and he got me a tryout with the Steelers.

“I was a Steeler fan growing up, how could you not be with all of those Super Bowls in the ‘70s,” Ley said. “I show up at this tryout and there’s David Little, Donnie Shell, Bryan Hinkle.... I was in awe of those guys.

Ley’s tryout with Pittsburgh lasted three days and he later had one with the Cleveland Browns. Though he did not catch on with either team, he was still thankful for the opportunity.

“Every kid dreams of playing in the NFL,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

Ley came back to football as a coach in the Seneca Valley Junior Football Association for seven years. While in that capacity, he was able to work with his sons, Saige and Stone, who are now 16 and 14, respectively.

“To be able to coach my sons on some of the same fields I played on, it was awesome,” he said. “There are things I learned while playing football that you can apply to life, but being involved in any sport will teach you that. Things like setting and achieving goals, working hard and having a winning mind-set.”

Ley is humbled by the thought of entering the Seneca Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

“There have been a lot of outstanding athletes to come through Seneca,” he said. “To be associated with them, it’s great. I’m truly honored.”

Rick and Flo Ley have been married for 20 years. They live with their two sons in Cranberry.