Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

David A. Cessna made a huge impact as an IUP fullback, despite his diminutive stature—he was only 5-foot-7, 184 pounds at his biggest.

Cessna, a four-year letterman and three-year starter, led a team then known as the Indians in rushing in both 1965 and 1966 and in scoring in 1966. He set the single-game school rushing record with a 213-yard performance against Geneva in 1965 and eclipsed the single-season standard in 1966 with 708 yards. Cessna concluded his career with a school-record 1,916 yards, still the 18th-best total in IUP history.

The Indians went 29-8-1 in his four years in uniform and won two PSAC West titles. He was selected as the fullback on IUP's All-'60s team, was an All-PSAC first-team pick in 1965 (he might have repeated had IUP not briefly left the conference in 1966), a first-team All-District Small College team selection by both the Pittsburgh Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1966 and was twice named to an Associated Press All-Pennsylvania team that included players from major schools.

Cessna, who served three tours with the U.S. Army in Vietnam after graduation, made the military his career and rose to the rank of captain. He retired in 2013 after serving 44 years, most recently as a course director for the worldwide Reutilization & Marketing Program at the Army Logistics University in Virginia.

Cessna was presented the Meritorious Civilian Service Award—the Army's second-highest honorary award for heroism—in 1977 after he and two others rescued an elderly Tennessee man from his burning home. 

He resides in South Prince George, Va., with his wife, Sang. They have two adult daughters, Shari and Cheri, and four grandchildren.