Josh Bordner's final college football game might look a little like some of his first college football games. At least the first ones he attended.

The Boston College wide receiver was born in State College, Pennsylvania, and grew up a huge Penn State fan. He said his father, Scott, had a government job in town and would take him to Nittany Lions games regularly, with little Josh tagging along in one of those "little kid backpacks."

"I just remember when everyone gets up and starts jumping, the whole stadium feels like it's going to collapse," Bordner said with a laugh. "They definitely take pride in their football there."

Bordner's football career will in many ways come full circle when his Eagles face the Lions in the Dec. 27 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. The career reserve quarterback was called into coach Steve Addazio's office last winter and, with Florida transfer Tyler Murphy coming in to take over the reins under center, was asked if he would be willing to switch to receiver.

Bordner said he had not played the position since he was a sophomore at Century High — his family moved to Sykesville, Maryland, before high school — but he was eager to have an opportunity to get on the field in his final season.

The numbers followed, as Bordner's 26 catches, 342 receiving yards and three touchdown grabs all led or tied for the team lead in the regular season. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bordner's biggest attribute, however, might have come in the run game — more specifically, blocking for Murphy and the rest of a BC rushing attack that put up 251.83 yards per game, good for 14th in the country.

Those efforts did not go unnoticed, as Bordner was rewarded Sunday as the recipient of the Scanlan Award, the program's highest honor, which goes to the senior who was outstanding in scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.

"Every Sunday morning we’d come in and watch highlights of the big plays from Saturday’s game and most often it’s highlighting Josh making a huge block down the field," center and fellow captain Andy Gallik said. "He’s always making big cuts down field and making wider lanes for Tyler and the running backs. He’s always making blocks and doing whatever he can to get his blockers down. It helped us tremendously.

"He was the hands-down, clear favorite to win that award. When I think of the Scanlan Award, I think of Josh Bordner. There’s nobody that should have won that besides him.”

Bordner will run into one more familiar face next Saturday when he sees coach James Franklin roaming the Penn State sideline. Franklin had recruited Bordner when the coach was an assistant at Maryland, with Bordner recalling an hour-long meeting in which he loved Franklin's enthusiasm.

Bordner said he had two cousins attend Penn State and still has a handful of friends and family members in town. He joked that the bowl game will mark the first time any of them find themselves rooting against the Lions, even if this is a long time coming for a Penn State program that was banned from bowls the previous two seasons in light of NCAA sanctions.

"I'm definitely really excited," Bordner said. "It's going to be a sold-out, packed crowd. It's going to be one of the top-viewed bowl games. I'm looking forward to going out there and playing against a team I grew up loving. They're definitely a good team. They have a great defense, so we're really looking forward to getting out there and playing."