Early Life
The third of Woodrow and Eunice Delaney's eight children, Joe Delaney was born in Henderson, Texas on October 30, 1958, and attended Haughton High School in Louisiana. Discouraged by his father from pursuing his dreams of playing football, Delaney became the starting wide receiver by his junior year at Haughton. Major Division I schools that scouted him included Grambling State, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana State.
Delaney played for Division I-AA's Northwestern State Demons from 1977 to 1980. After telling his coach of his willingness to play football at the collegiate level, Delaney switched to the running back position. He went on to be an All-American selection in 1979 and 1980. While at Northwestern State, Delaney met his future wife, Carolyn, and they had two children by his senior year.
On October 28, 1978, Delaney carried the ball 28 times and gained 299 yards for Northwestern State against Nicholls State University with 263 of the yards coming in the game's second half. Delaney's rushing stats in the second half of the game are an NCAA record. In the same game, he scored four touchdowns, one of which was on a 90-yard run, as he led his team to a 28–18 victory.
Delaney finished his career at Northwestern State with 3,047 yards rushing, 31 touchdowns, and 188 points. In 1980, his senior season, he was ranked eighth in the nation in all-purpose rushing yards. On November 22, 1980 he played his last game at Northwestern State and the school retired his jersey, number 44, at halftime. Delaney was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
At Northwestern State, Delaney also starred in track. In high school, he ran the 100 yard dash in 9.4 seconds in high school and was on the Northwestern State track and field team, which won the NCAA 400-meter relay in 1981. He holds the school 200 meter dash record with a time of 20.64 seconds.
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