The following article is from the July 20th New Haven Register. Scott Ferrari filed the story.

NEW HAVEN — Horace Dodd, the 1998 Register Area Football MVP and a two-time All-State pick from Hamden, has transferred from Penn State to Boston College.

After a sometimes arduous process, Dodd received a release from his Penn State scholarship two weeks ago. He accepted a scholarship from Boston College on Wednesday.

He will be eligible to play at Boston College in 2002 and will have two years of athletic eligibility. He is allowed to practice with the team this season.For Dodd, the change all came down to passion, or at least his passion to play running back. Although he was promised many times that he'd be able to play that position, Dodd never carried the ball at Penn State.

He was slated to be the team's starter at strong safety this season after playing backup linebacker a year ago. Defense, even the cusp of starting at one of the nation's prominent programs, just wasn't right for him.

"I think (defensive backs coach Brian Norwood) could see I still had a love for the offensive side of the ball during practice," Dodd said. "I wasn't focused (on defense). I ended up doing well, but I was playing at 75 to 80 percent of my potential. It was nothing compared to what I could do on the offensive side of the ball.

"I'm the type of person who doesn't like to feel like I'm at 80 percent of my potential. That's how I felt at Penn State. I enjoyed playing, but I didn't have the passion, not that passion I have when I'm playing at running back. Whatever you do in life, whatever your job is, you need to have that drive to love what you do when you get up in the morning."

He said he would be a running back at Boston College.

Penn State coaches did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.

As an electrifying halfback at Hamden, Dodd rushed for 4,388 yards and 53 touchdowns in his career, including more than 2,100 as a senior.

Dodd said he expressed a desire to play running back, but that didn't look like it would ever materialize at Penn State.

"After my first season, I almost transferred, but coach (Joe) Paterno told me if I came back, they'd give me the chance to play running back," Dodd said.

The next spring Dodd practiced with the running backs and did well, he said. But a rash of injuries on defense forced his move to linebacker.

"I figured I'd stick it out for the good of the team and I began to get comfortable," Dodd said.

Prior to this year's spring game, Dodd was approached by coaches who asked him to move from linebacker to safety. He said he would do it for the good of he team.

When Dodd returned home for the summer to work, a conversation with his brother and some friends helped him pull the trigger on a move he'd been thinking about for a long time.

"My brother and his friends were always joking with me, saying 'Whatever happened to Horace Dodd?' " Dodd said. "My brother told me I kept talking about what I'd do if I played running back. He told me if I didn't want to play defense to just make the decision and leave. I told him it wasn't that easy to leave Penn State. Going up against Coach Paterno is like going up against the president."

Dodd said he asked Paterno for a release from his scholarship either by phone or through letters on some 10 different occasions.

"He'd tell me he had to think more about it," Dodd said.

The problem was time was running out for Dodd to get the release and be eligible to play at another school by NCAA guidelines.

Penn State initially gave Dodd a release to speak with Syracuse, Maryland and North Carolina State.

The school, or more likely Paterno, balked at Boston College.

Finally, New Haven attorneys Ed Walsh and Andrew O'Neill got involved.

An intense two-week process ensued with Walsh calling, writing and faxing the Penn State athletic department and president's office daily before the president's general counsel assured Walsh the release to Boston College would come.

Boston College does have one of the nation's better running backs in junior William Greene, but it's possible Greene will turn pro after this season.

"I'm excited about Boston College. I think we have a chance to win the Big East and for me, it's all about winning," Dodd said. "I have no regrets about Penn State. There's no doubt I come away from there a better football player and I've gained a perspective from the defensive side of the ball. I can't wait to run with it again."

Because Dodd has not yet enrolled at Boston College, school officials did not comment on his transfer.

©New Haven Register 2001