Murray remains one of WPIAL’s all-time rushers

Not too many young men are athletic enough to be desired by the Notre Dame football program. One local star excelled so much his college destination was, in fact, South Bend. That standout was Belle Vernon Area’s Jason Murray (Class of 1997).

It certainly was no mystery as to why the Fighting Irish head coach Bob Davie wanted the member of BVA’s Class of 1997. After all, this sturdy running back, who was 6-2 and weighed 225 pounds in high school, had proven his mettle. His statistics glistened like gold.

In his senior season alone, he rushed for almost 1,700 yards (1,692) and scored 20 touchdowns. He averaged 8.4 yards every time he carried the football.

His junior season stats were even better as he rambled for 2,035 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

In his three seasons, he totaled 5,046 rushing yards. Even now, he ranks 10th alltime on the WPIAL rushing list.

Belle Vernon Area head coach Gary Dongilli knew every single game he could count on Murray to score two touchdowns and would nearly get a first down every time he ran with the ball.

And don’t forget the fact that the first time ran for the Leopards was in his 1994 sophomore season. His first varsity carry, he eased into the end zone on a 58-yard run.

He’ll never forget his final touchdown, either. That one, good for 56 yards, came when BVA met Blackhawk in the WPIAL Class AAA title game his senior year.

Murray and winning went hand in hand.

In 1994, the Leopards went 10-2 and made the playoffs. The following season they boosted the record to 12-2, again reaching the playoffs where they took the WPIAL Class 3A crown with Murray as the top rusher in the WPIAL.

In 1996, BVA finished 11-1, with the only defeat coming in the championship game against Blackhawk despite Murray’s long TD gallop. He ended his high school career with a team record of 33-5.

“I would say winning the WPIAL in 1995. I was very proud of that. And I believe I was the first running back from a Triple-A school to rush for over 4,000 yards,” Murray recalled of his top career highlights.

His honors also include being named to Parade Magazine’s and USA Today’s All-American teams as an honorable mention tailback. He was named All-Conference twice, was third-team All-State as a junior and first team as a senior. He was also enshrined in the BVA Football Hall of Fame.

High school behind him, he turned in some excellent work mainly on special teams in his freshman season at Notre Dame. His team went 9-3 and went to the Gator Bowl in his freshman year.

Although a shoulder injury sidelined him for the next season (1999) and forced him to undergo reconstructive surgery, his ruggedness and determination helped him come back strong in his junior year.

An article on the Fighting Irish website quoted quarterback Gary Godsey.

“Mentally, he’s is doing everything he needs to do to be a good player. Yet, his greatest strength is still his explosiveness,” Godsey said. “When he hits somebody, everybody knows he hit somebody.”

Wide receiver Joey Getherall concurred, “He is the hardest hitter on the team, without a question.”

Murray, then a fullback, earned his first career college start and was instrumental in securing a win over Stanford. Even when he was coming off the bench, he contributed, like what he had done just a few weeks earlier. That was when Murray hauled in his first reception ever at Notre Dame, a catch that was good for a touchdown versus Michigan State. That year the team went to the Fiesta Bowl.

His said his biggest thrill was running into Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in his sophomore season, knowing he was going to be playing in that game. Being a part of the Notre Dame football program was “a good experience.”I got to travel all over.

“It was always interesting, having people come up to you asking for your autograph, he said. “People who didn’t really have a direct connection to Notre Dame would tell me stories about how, back when Notre Dame was the only nationally broadcast games, they’d listen to them with their grandfathers.”

Growing up, he was not a Notre Dame fan, so he soon learned how important the Irish tradition was. When his college days were done, the Cincinnati Bengals signed him as a free agent.

Murray one of the special ones who played at Notre Dame, he also was one of the Valley’s elite who got a taste of the NFL.