Jabulani D. Powell (2020) - Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame

Jabulani D. Powell

Induction:
2020
Class:
2002

Jabu Powell is one of the all-time great running backs in Bucknell football annals. He came to Bucknell from the U.S. Military Academy Prep School and proceeded to rush for 2,919 career yards, the second-highest total in school history behind only Hall-of-Famer Rich Lemon. Powell set the Bucknell single-game rushing record of 282 yards against Cornell on Sept. 16, 2000, which was one of his 12 career 100-yard rushing games. That mark was also a Patriot League single-game record.

Powell's 1,102 yards in 2000 was the sixth-highest single-season total in school history at the time, even though he missed two games that season due to injury. In 1999, Powell rushed for 827 yards, third in the Patriot League, despite playing the first four games of the season as a wide receiver. As a freshman in 1998, he returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown on one of his first career touches of the football. The return was the fifth-longest in school history at the time.

He ranked second at graduation on Bucknell's career all-purpose yards chart (4,641). Powell also ranked fifth in touchdowns (27) and eighth in scoring (161), and his 84 points in 2000 were tied for fifth-most in team history. Powell, who came to Bucknell from Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School, was Bucknell's leading rusher each year from 1999-2001, and he earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors in each of those seasons. He earned Honorable Mention on the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Team in 2000.