BUTLER TWP — David Crummy has finally caught up.

“My brother (Bill) and I really had a sibling rivalry,” the 1979 Mars graduate said. “We competed in everything.

“He went into the Hall of Fame 27 years ago. Now I'm finally going to be in there with him.”

Crummy was a four-sport athlete at Mars and an all-state running back his senior year with the Planets. A three-year starter in football, he had a pair of 1,200-yard rushing seasons.

Crummy will be inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame during the organization's annual banquet at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Butler Days Inn. The banquet has been rescheduled from April 25.

He also played baseball and basketball, along with running track in high school. He did track his freshman and sophomore years, played baseball as a junior and senior.

“I couldn't compete with my brother in track,” Crummy said. “I was a sprinter, ran the 100 and 200, and was pretty fast.

“Bill won the state championship three times in hurdles. I couldn't stand up to that. So I played baseball.”

A center fielder, he hit over .500 for two years and made all-section his senior season.

“It's not like I was a great hiter,” Crummy said. “Like I said, I had speed. I'd hit the ball on the ground and teams couldn't throw me out.

“I don't know if those were all hits or if the other teams just couldn't field the baseball.”

Also a cornerback-safety in football, Crummy's true legacy developed on the gridiron. He played in the PA East-West Game and the Big 33 all-star game. He received scholarship offers from Penn State, Pitt, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan.

His college of choice was a no-brainer.

“We're a Penn State family,” Crummy said. “My father played for Joe Paterno's first team there. My brother played there.”

Crummy's own playing time at Penn State was short-lived.

After red-shirting as a freshman, Crummy was a second team defensive end his sophomore year. Spring football was when his playing career ended.

“I tore my ACL, MCL, patella tendon ... I destroyed my knee about as bad as you can do it,” he said.

Crummy spent the next two years working with the Nittany Lions' scout team defense, breaking down film and assisting in recruiting.

When he was a senior in 1982, Penn State defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to win its first national championship.

“That was a lot of fun that year,” Crummy said. “I remember that freshman scout team defense I was working with. Those guys were crazy, I mean, absolutely nuts.

“They were getting after (quarterback) Todd Blackledge so hard in practice, Coach Paterno called me into his office one day and asked me what the heck I was doing. He said that scout team was all over his guys in practice.

“He also smiled and told me to keep it up,” Crummy added.

Crummy wound up with a degree in education. He went on to work for a sales company for 26 years. His son, John, was a catcher at Butler who went on to play for Miami (Ohio) University. He was a three-year starter with a career .305 batting average.

His daughter, Ellen, was a standout swimmer at Butler who also swam at Case Western University. She received a PhD in biochemistry.

“What I remember most about high school is we should have been better,” Crummy said of his football career. “Between me and our other back, we rushed for about 2,500 yards a year. I always felt like we should have won more games.”

Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Tables of eight are $200. Tickets are available at Parker's Appliance in Chicora, Moses Jewelers at the Clearview Mall, The Butler Radio Network in Butler and Saxonburg Drug.