West Liberty University Athletics

    Dennis Knight was a four-year starter at inside linebacker who earned NAIA All-America honors on the Hilltoppers' nationally-ranked NAIA semifinal playoff squad as a senior in 1970. Knight wasted little time working his way into the starting lineup after arriving on the hilltop in 1967 and emerged as a driving force behind a program on the rise under head coach Bob Roe.
    West Liberty went 4-5-0 in 1967, improved to 5-3-1 in 1968 and went 6-3 during Knight's junior season, setting the stage for a run at the national spotlight in 1970. With Knight leading a defense that surrendered only six touchdowns during an undefeated regular season, the Hilltoppers rolled to a WVIAC championship and a berth in the NAIA national semifinals, where they dropped a hard-fought 12-6 decision to Wofford (S.C.).
    A senior co-captain, Knight was not only a consensus All-WVIAC selection at linebacker, he joined teammate Tom Priest as the first first-team NAIA All-Americans in West Liberty football history.