SLIPPERY ROCK - A funny thing happened to Greg Hopkins on his way to the National Football League.

He never got there. He wound up in the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame instead.

The 1995 SRU graduate was one of seven inductees to join the Hall Saturday as part of The Rock's 2005 home opening football game festivities.

Hopkins, 33, remains SRU's all-time leader in pass receptions with 215, pass receiving yards with 3,382 and receiving touchdowns with 28.

Upon graduation, he headed to the Canadian Football League and was cut in training camp by Ottawa.

"I was devastated," Hopkins said. "I thought my football career was over. I didn't know what to do.

"Then I caught on with the Firebirds in Albany (of the Arena Football League). Like anybody else, I treated it as a stepping stone to the NFL."

Ten years later, Hopkins is still playing in the AFL. He's won a league title with the Los Angeles Avengers and has a year left on his contract. He holds the AFL record with nine career interception returns for touchdowns.

His career numbers are astounding: 677 receptions, 8,565 yards, 168 touchdowns, 292½ tackles and 20 interceptions in 118 AFL games.

"Physically, I feel like I can play another three or four years," Hopkins said. "My body will tell me when it's time to quit."

Hopkins caught 81 passes for 891 yards and 13 touchdowns last year while adding five interceptions defensively. He has won the league's Ironman of the Year award twice.

The Avengers were 10-6 last year before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs.

"My only goal is to win another league championship," Hopkins said. "That would be a great way to end my career."

Two of the 2005 SRU Hall of Fame inductees have Butler County ties: Bill Miller and Jay Wagner.

Miller is a 1959 Butler High School graduate who graduated from The Rock in 1964. He was a member of the swim team at both schools."I was only an average swimmer," Miller said. "My cousin Jack was the real swimmer in the family. He was one of the best on our team."The fact that I wasn't a great swimmer helped make me a better coach. I had to pay more attention to technique, training regimen, the real nuts and bolts of the sport."Miller went on to coach the Clarion University men's swimming team for 20 years and the women's team for 13 before retiring in 2000. His teams won 244 of 302 meets, 28 PSAC team championships and had 23 top-five finishes at the NCAA Division II national meet."I've been pretty fortunate," Miller said. "I was able to start the swim program at Seneca Valley High School and win a WPIAL title there (1976) before moving on to Norwin High School, then Clarion."

Wagner was a running back and team captain at The Rock before graduating from SRU in 1970. He received his master's degree here in 1973.His 910 yards rushing in 1968 marked SRU's single-season record at the time. He also held Rock records for career rushing yardage (1,764) and single-game rushing yardage (236 vs. Clarion) at the end of his career.Wagner received contract offers from the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, but declined."I knew I was done," he said. "My body couldn't have handled it. I needed (back) surgery and that was it for me."Wagner wound up spending 35 years as a fifth-grade teacher in the Moniteau School District. He coached football, track and field, golf, youth basketball and baseball there.Wagner retired from teaching after the 2004-05 school year.SRU's other 2005 Hall of Fame inductees are former All-American cross country and track and field performer Joan Anderson (Class of 1995), football player Bill Kelly (1965) and former Rock coaches Steve Banjak (men's gymnastics) and Dr. Al Schmittlein (golf).