Tailback P.J. Mays is one of two Youngstown State football players to be named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In just three seasons with the program, Mays cracked the top five in numerous career categories for the program.
In the first 71-plus seasons of program history, no player has rushed for more than 200 yards in four games other than Mays. Mays had 200-yard plus performances against Lock Haven (226 in 2001), Missouri State (218 in 2001), Southern Illinois (210 in 2002) and Marshall (201 in 2001).
For his career, he rushed for 3,511 yards on 666 carries and 42 scored touchdowns. Mays averaged 103.3 yards per game and 5.3 yards per attempt. He played in 34 games with the Penguins, starting 27 contests. All totaled, he scored 45 touchdowns and tallied 270 points. Mays had 15 multi-touchdown games in his career while producing 14 100-yard plus rushing efforts.
As a senior, he was a second-team All-America selection by The Associated Press and The Sports Network. A first-team all-conference performer, he rushed for 1,284 yards on a career-high 255 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. Mays averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 116.7 yards per contest. He rushed for 90-plus yards in 10 of the 12 games, including a season-best 210 yards on 28 carries against Southern Illinois. He finished with a season-high 32 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns at Illinois State. Mays scored touchdowns in nine games and rushed for more than 100 yards on six occasions. He also caught 11 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
Mays' junior campaign was one of the best in school history.
He was named the Conference's Offensive Player of the Year and received honorable-mention All-America honors after rushing for a career-best 1,446 yards on 227 carries and scoring a career-high 21 touchdowns. He finished third in the country with 21 rushing touchdowns and was fifth in the nation in scoring. Mays averaged a school-record 131.5 yards per game while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He scored 132 points, the second most in a season in school history. He caught 11 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.
He had some of the most spectacular rushing games in school history during the campaign. On three occasions, he ran for more than 200 yards. Against nationally-ranked FBS-school Marshall, he had 201 yards on 30 carries and scored three touchdowns. The Penguins pushed the Herd to the final minutes before coming up short. Against Missouri State, he rushed for 218 yards on 24 carries and scored three touchdowns. He had 226 yards on 21 carries and scored on an 83-yard touchdown run against Clarion. On another personal-high note, he had a career-high four rushing touchdowns at Indiana State.
During his first year at YSU, the Penguins reached the FCS playoffs, finishing the campaign 9-3. He played in 12 games, starting six contests, and rushed for 781 yards on 184 carries while scoring 10 touchdowns. He posted a season-high 127 yards on 24 carries and scored two touchdowns in the regular-season finale at Cal Poly. He also ran for 117 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown at Western Illinois. He had eight receptions for 56 yards.
Prior to transferring to YSU, he spent the 1998 and 1999 campaigns at Cincinnati. He had a solid year as a redshirt freshman in 1999 after sitting out the 1998 season. In 11 games, he rushed for 293 yards on 67 carries and scored two touchdowns. He had a season-high 20 carries against Troy with a season-best 98 yards against Kent State. Mays scored his touchdowns against the Golden Flashes and East Carolina.
At East High School he was a second-team All-Ohio selection during his senior season. In 1997, East posted an 8-3 mark as the school reached the state playoffs for the first time in school history. For the year, he rushed for 1,414 yards and scored 17 touchdowns and caught six passes for 124 yards and three scores. He was a two-time all-district and three-time all-city honoree. As a junior he rushed for 858 yards on 157 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. In his career, he rushed for 2,597 yards on 459 carries and scored 28 touchdowns.
He earned his degree from Youngstown State in Computer Information Systems.
Mays currently works as a project coordinator for York Mahoning Mechanical Contractors. He also coaches track and field for Struthers High School.
Mays and his wife, Laura, have three children, Mya, Preston II and MaLeah.
