phillypressbox

Archive for the ‘Penn State All Time Team’ Category

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State Football All Time Team – Part 7

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 16, 2012 at 5:33 am

PART 7 – THE SUMMARY

All of the positions have been covered in posts 1-6. Below is a summary of those posts in what I consider to be the All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. We’ve also added the players that we overlooked that deserve mention with their individual positions. We have put together a list of the GREATEST MOMENTS in PSU Football history. They are sure to bring back some memories young and old. Lastly, we have included a list of outstanding accomplishments by PSU opponents over the years. These are sure to bring back memories if you were at the game or saw it on TV.

We hope that you have enjoyed the series as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. It’s been a lot of fun and we’ve enjoyed the feedback from our followers. We received a return Tweet from AQ Shipley who checked in and a Retweet of the posts by Jordan Norwood. Thanks to all.

OFFENSE

1ST TEAM                                                                             2nd TEAM

OL – Jeff Hartings                                                         OL – Levi Brown

OL – Steve Wisniewski                                                 OL – Tom Rafferty

OL – Sean Farrell                                                           OL – Marco Rivera

OL – Keith Dorney                                                         OL – Kareem McKenzie

OL – Mike Munchak                                                       OL – AQ Shipley

TE – Ted Kwalick                                                            TE – Kyle Brady

WR – Bobby Engram                                                     WR – Jordan Norwood

WR – Deon Butler                                                            WR – Kenny Jackson

WR – OJ McDuffie

QB – Kerry Collins                                                           QB – Chuck Fusina

RB – Curt Warner                                                            RB – Lydell Mitchell

RB – Ki-Jana Carter                                                        RB – Curtis Enis

RB – John Cappelletti

Honorable Mention:

Irv Pankey, Charlie Getty, Dave Szott, Andre Johnson, Brad Benson, Chris Conlin, Stephon Wisniewski , John Nessell, Dave Joyner,  Bill Dugan, Todd Moules, Rich Ohrnberger, Jack Baiorunos, Rich Buzin, Keith Conlin, bucky Greeley, Troy Drayton, Mike McCloskey, Andrew Quarles, Mickey Schuler Sr., Dan Natale, Tony Stewart, Gregg Garrity, Joe Jurevicious, Scott Fitzkee, Bryant Johnson, Derrick Williams, Freddie Scott, Jack Curry, Ethan Kilmer, Todd Blackledge, Daryll Clark, Zack Mills, Tony Sacca, John Shaffer, Chuck Burkhart, John Hufnagel, Michael Robinson, Larry Johnson, DJ Dozier, Blair Thomas, Evan Royster, Tony Hunt, Matt Suhey, Eric McCoo, Franco Harris, Charlie Pittman

DEFENSE

1St Team                                                                                 2ND TEAM

DL – Courtney Brown                                                  DL – Matt Millen

DL – Bruce Clark                                                           DL – Larry Kubin

DL – Mike Reid                                                               DL – Steve Smear

DL – Devon Still                                                             DL – Randy Crowder

LB – Dennis Onkotz                                                       LB – Dan Connor

LB – Greg Buttle                                                             LB – Paul Posluszny

LB – Shane Conlan                                                        LB – Jack Ham

LB – LaVar Arrington                                                  LB – Andre Collins

DB – Neil Smith                                                              DB – Ray Isom

DB – Pete Harris                                                            DB – Bryan Scott

DB – Mark Robinson                                                     DB – Mike Zordich

DB – Darren Perry                                                        DB – Kim Herring

Honorable Mention:

Mike Hartenstein, Walker Lee Ashley, Tamba Hali, Tim Johnson, Randy Sidler, Lou Benfatti, Anthony Adams, Jimmy Kennedy, Aaron Maybin, Bob White,  Brad Scioli, Jared Odrick, Justin Kurpeikis, Michael Haynes, Jay Alford, Sean Lee, John Skorupan, Brandon Short, Jim Kates, Pete Giftopoulos, Brian Gelzheiser, Trey Bauer, Jim Nelson, Mark D‘Onofrio, Gary Gray, Ed O’Neil, Kurt Allerman, Lance Mehl, Chet Parlavecchio, Scott Radecic, Gerald Filardi, Navarro Bowman, Josh Hull, Charlie Zapiac, Don Graham, Mac Morrison, Jim Rosecrans, Trey Bauer, Brian Chizmar, John Ebersole, Phil Yaboah-Kodie, Jim Laslavic, Doug Allen, Ron Crosby, Rich Milot, Keith Goganious, Rich McKenzie, Reggie Givins, Josh Hull, Tim Shaw, Harry Hamilton, Tony Pittman, Shawn Mayer, Alan Zemaitis, Paul Lankford, Leonard Humphries, Shelly Hammonds, David Macklin, James Boyd, Bhawoh Jue, Calvin Lowry, Justin King, Anthony Scirrotto

Kickers

1ST TEAM                                                                              2ND TEAM

Kevin Kelly                                                                          Travis Forney

Punters

1ST TEAM                                                                              2ND TEAM

Jeremy Kapinos                                                                 Jeremy Boone

Honorable Mention:

Chris Bahr, Matt Bahr, Craig Fayak, Robbie Gould, Massimo Manca, Brett Conway, Nick Gancitano, Herb Menhardt, Brian Franco, Colin Wagner, Ray Tarasi, Ryan Primanti, Ralph Giacomarro, Pat Pidgeon, John Bruno, Doug Helkowski, David Royer, Darrell Kania, Bob Parsons, Brian Masella, George Reynolds

 Honorable Mention Players We Missed:

Bruce Bannen, Tyoka Jackson, Rogers Alexander, Brandon Noble, Todd Atkins, Terry Killins, Bucky Greeley, Lee Rubin, Al Golden, Keith Karpinski, Ken Kelley, Sean McHugh, Jon Whitman, Sam Gash, Steve Smith, Richie Anderson, Tim Manoa, Leo Wisniewski, Derrick (Cameron) Wake, Duffy Cobbs, Brian Chizmar, Mark Markovich, Bill Lenkaitis, Brian Milne, Phil Ostrowski, Floyd Wedderburn, John Gilmore, Vyto Kab

 GREATEST MOMENTS

  • Adam Taliaferro’s return to Beaver Stadium, 9/1/2001
  • “Intercepted Giftopolous” – PSU beats Miami and Vinny Testaverde in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to win the National Championship
  • “Garrity…..Touchdown” – PSU beats Georgia and Herschel Walker in the 1983 Sugar Bowl to win the National Championship
  • PSU beats Kansas to win the 1969 Orange Bowl 15-14 and finished their 1st undefeated season.
  • PSU beat #1 ranked Notre Dame in 1990 in South Bend on Craig Fayak’s FG in the last minute,24-21
  • 1969 PSU beats Syracuse on the road 15-14 scoring all 14 points in the 4th quarter on the way to the 2nd undefeated season in a row.    
  • Joe Paterno wins #324 at Beaver Stadium vs Ohio State
  • John Cappelletti wins the 1973 Heisman Trophy
  • 2002 Larry Johnson runs for 279 yards versus Michigan State to reach 2000 in a season
  • 1991 PSU amasses 706 yards of total offense versus Cincinnati, 484 rushing.
  • 2000 NFL Draft when Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington were drafted #1 & #2
  • From 1969, 70 and 71 PSU held Pitt to a total of 13 first downs
  • 1978 PSU held Maryland to -32 yards rushing
  • PSU beats Florida State in the 2006 Orange Bowl in 3 overtimes on Kevin Kelly’s FG to finish 11-1. This was last meeting between Paterno and Bowden
  • 2011 – JoePa win #409,  PSU 10 Illinois 7 the final victory!!
  • 2001 – JoePa win #324, PSU 29 Ohio State 27
  • 1995 Rose Bowl to finish undefeated PSU 38 Oregon 20
  • 2010 – JoePa win #400, PSU 35 Northwestern 21
  • 1994 – PSU 35 Illinois 31, come from behind victory on the way to another undefeated season

 GREATEST OPPONENTS

  • Doug Flutie threw for 520 yards in ’82, 380 in ’83 and 447 in ’84 against PSU
  • Drew Brees threw for 361 yards in ’98 and 379 yards in ‘99
  • Jeff Smoker threw for 356 yards in ’01 and 357 yards in ‘03
  • Ted Brown, NC State, rushed for 251 yards in ‘77
  • Michigan State RB’s Sedrick Irvin, 238 yards, and Marc Renaud, 203 yards were the only teammates to rush for more than 200 yards in a game.
  • Pitt’s Tony Dorsett rushed for 224 yards in ‘76
  • Thomas Lewis of Indiana had 285 yards receiving in ‘93
  • Alan Pinckett of Notre Dame scored 4 TD’s in a game twice in ’83 & ‘84
  • Adam Bailey, Minnesota ’97 and Joel Howells, Northwestern ’05, kicked 5 FG’s in a game
  • Gary Homer, Ohio U, kicked a 57 yard FG in ‘73
  • Tim Schade, Minnesota ’93, accounted for 536 yards of total offense
  • Skip Orzulak, Pitt ’68, had 16 receptions
  •  John Paci to Thomas Lewis, Indiana, ’93, completed a 99 yard pass the longest ever against PSU

For all of your Christmas needs shop at home at www.shop.com/bobsullivan. This site will allow you to search all of your favorite stores from home, cost compare AND get cash back on all of your purchases. Just sign up as a prefered member for FREE and off you go!!!! Just click on the link or on the business card below.

Advertisement

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State Football All Time Team – Part 6

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 15, 2012 at 7:49 am

PART 6– This is the last segment of the players section of my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. Tomorrow we will post a summary of all of the posts and present a list of greatest games and memories. We will also look at a few names that were missed that we shouldn’t have and also look at some of the greatest players that played against the Nittany Lions.

The Linebacker list was really tough. I thought the kickers would be easy but it didn’t work out that way. As far as the punters it was just splitting hairs.

1ST TEAM:

Kevin Kelly – 4 year starter as a place kicker. He ranks #1 in total points in a career with 425. Craig Fayak is ranked 2nd with 282. He ranks #1, tied with Matt Bahr, for most FG’s in a season with 22 and tied for 5th with Travis Forney with 20, which he did twice. He kicked 4 FG’s in a game against Purdue in 2005 and Northwestern in 2006. Kevin kicked 3 FG’s in his career over 50 yards. With kickers with more than 50 career attempts, Kelly ranks #3 in career FG percentage at 72.9%. His points per year were 99, 96, 110 and 120. He is the Big 10 All Time Kick Leading Scorer.

2nd TEAM:

Travis Forney – 3 year starter as a place kicker. He ranks #4 on in total points with 258. He along with Kelly are the only kickers with over 100 points in a season with 107. With kickers with more than 50 career attempts Forney ranks #1 in career FG percentage at 74.6%. He is tied for 3rd with Massimo Manca for FG’s in a season with 21 in 1999 and ranked #5, tied for with Kevin Kelly, with 20 in 1998. Travis is tied with Brian Franco and Massimo Manca with 5 FG’s in a game. He also kicked a 50 yard FG against Minnesota in 1998.

Honorable Mention – Chris Bahr, Matt Bahr – both were 1st Team All Americans and both had long NFL careers. Chris kicked 6 FG’s of more than 50 yards including 3 of 55 yards and 1 of 52 yards in 1975. For his career Chris’ FG percentage was 55.6% while Matt’s was 63.9%. Both were great players but their statistics don’t match up to Kelly and Forney.

Craig Fayak, Robbie Gould, Massimo Manca, Brett Conway, Nick Gancitano, Herb Menhardt, Brian Franco, Colin Wagner, Ray Tarasi, Ryan Primanti

PUNTER:

1ST TEAM:

Jeremy Kapinos – 3rd Team All American (’06). A 4 year starter with tremendous consistency. He averaged 41.7 yards per punt for his career which is ranked 4th all time (over 100 punts). He averaged 41.9, 41.8, 41.3 and 41.9 yards for each of his seasons. He ranks #1 in career punts with 251. Jeremy only had 2 punts blocked in his career both as a freshman.

2ND TEAM:

Jeremy Boone – 3 year starter who ranks tied for 1st in career average per punt at 43.1 yards (over 100 punts). He averaged 43.0, 43.0 and 43.3 yards per punt for each season.  His 78 yard punt versus Ohio State in 2004 ranks 2nd all time.

Honorable Mention:

Ralph Giacomarro, Pat Pidgeon, John Bruno, Doug Helkowski, David Royer, Darrell Kania, Bob Parsons, Brian Masella, George Reynolds

 

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State Football All Time Team – Part 5

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 14, 2012 at 11:17 am

PART 5– Now that the Joe Paterno era of Penn State football has officially ended I wanted to have some fun and come up with my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. There was actually a lot of thought that went in to this. I did a good bit of statistical research, used my long memory of Penn State football games and seasons gone bye and of course a lot of my opinion. I also tried to base my picks on their Penn State career and not their NFL career which leaves a few NFL Hall of Famers off the 1st Team. Please feel free to leave your comments. All positions can easily be disputed since there have been many great players to come through Happy Valley. I’ve even taken the liberty to add a few extra players because I couldn’t split the hair on who to pick. It was tough enough as it was. Part 1, I will pick the Offensive Line (5) and TE (1). Part 2, I will pick the WR (3) and QB (1). Part 3 I will pick the RB (3) and it was tough. Part 4 the DL (4), and DB’s (4) and Part 5 I will pick the LB’s (4), it was impossible and I may still change my mind at the last second, the kicker (1) and punter (1).  I’ve added a 2nd Team and an Honorable Mention list.

Although selecting the Running Backs was very difficult selecting the Linebackers was nearly impossible. I’m sure you will have comments and your own opinions. I’d take the 2nd Team and put it against the 1st Team and still have a great group.

Also, I have decided to have an additional article to cover the Kickers and Punters. That wasn’t as easy as I thought so I’m doing to separately. It also won’t take away from this list of Linebackers.

LET THE ARGUMENTS BEGIN!!!!

I have selected 4 LINEBACKERS on my 1st Team.

Dennis Onkotz: 2 Time 1st Team All American (’68 & ‘69), both teams were undefeated.  2nd Team All America (’67). Dennis was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Onkotz was the original All American of what would become ”Linebacker U” under Joe Paterno.  Dennis ranks #6 on the All Time Career Tackles list with 287. This was accomplished in 3 seasons since freshman were not eligible at that time. An outstanding athlete Dennis was also the teams punt returner, returning 47 punts for an average return of 13.2 yards and 2 TD’s. He had one return for 71 yards that was not a TD. Dennis was a 3rd round draft pick of the New York Jets but his career was cut short by an injury.

Greg Buttle – 1st Team All American (’75). Arguably the best LB in PSU history. Buttle was a tackling machine. He was the all time tackles leader for over 30 years before he was passed by Paul Posluszny in 2006. He only played 3 seasons due to freshman being ineligible at the time. He holds the PSU records for tackles in a season with 165 and solo tackles in a season with 86. Buttle had individual games throughout his career with 24, 23 and 19 tackles. In 2001 he was awarded the Silver Anniversary Butkus Award for the 1975 season. Greg was a 3rd round draft pick of the New York Jets. He played in the NFL from 1976-1984.

Shane Conlan – 2 Time 1st Team All American (’85 & ’86). The leader of the 1986 defense considered one of the greatest of all time not allowing any opponents to score more than 19 points. Shane was the MVP of the 1987 National Championship Fiesta Bowl win over Miami. Conlan ranks #8th on the All Time tackles list with 274. He also ranks #7 in career tackles for loss. Conlan was selected in the 1st round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was selected NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He played in 3 Pro Bowls. He played in the NFL from 1897-1995. 

LaVar Arrington – 2 Time 1st Team All American (’98 & ’99). In his junior season, his last season, he won the Bednarik, Butkus and Lambert Awards. Possibly the finest athlete to ever play on the defensive side of the ball at PSU. LaVar is not in the Top 10 in all time tackles in a career or in a season. He does rank #8 in career QB sacks and #8 in career tackles for loss. LaVar was the 2nd pick in the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. He and Courtney Brown are the only teammates ever selected as the top 2 picks in the same draft. He played in 3 Pro Bowls. LaVar played in the NFL from 2000-2006.

2ND TEAM:

Dan Connor – 2 Time All American (’06 & ’07). The All time Career Leader in tackles with 419 passing his teammate Paul Posluszney. He ranks 2nd in tackles in a season to Buttle with 145. His 4 year tackles totals were 85, 76, 113 & 145. Connor won the 2007 Bednarik Award. He had 18 tackles in one game against Ohio State in 2007. Dan was a 3rd round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2008. He is still playing in the NFL.

Paul Posluszny – 2 Time All American (’05 & ’06).  He was only the 2nd 2 time winner of the Bednarik Award. He won the Butkus Award as well in 2005. Poz broke Greg Buttles 30 year record to become the all time career tackles leader in 2006 which was broken by teammate Dan Connor the next season. He’s the only Penn State linebacker to ever record 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons (2004-2006). His career consistency as a linebacker is second to none. His yearly tackles were 36, 104, 136 and 136. He recorded 22 tackles against Northwestern in 2005. Poz was a 2nd round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills. He is still playing in the NFL.

Jack Ham – 1st Team All American (’70). Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He teamed with Dennis Onkotz to lay the foundation for the legacy that would go on to become “ Linebacker U”. Ham was a three year starter who ranks #14 on the all time career tackles list. He only played 3 years since freshman were not eligible at that time. He is tied with Andre Collins for both Blocked Punts in a season with 3 and Most Blocked Punts in a career with 4. Jack was selected in the 1st round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in 8 Pro Bowls and won 4 Super Bowls. He was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary Team the 1990 All Decade Team and the Steelers All Time Team. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Andre Collins – 1st team All American (’89). Andre ranks #10 on the All Time Career Tackles List with 257. He is tied with Jack Ham for both Blocked Punts in a season with 3 and Most Blocked Punts in a career with 4. Collins career consisted of 2 seasons in which he played very little and 2 seasons that he was spectacular. He had 110 tackles as a junior and 130 tackles as a senior. He was a 2nd round draft pick of the Washington Redskins. He played in the NFL from 1990-1999.

 Honorable Mention:

Sean Lee, John Skorupan, Brandon Short, Jim Kates, Pete Giftopoulos, Brian Gelzheiser, Trey Bauer, Jim Nelson, Mark D‘Onofrio, Gary Gray, Ed O’Neil, Kurt Allerman, Lance Mehl, Chet Parlavecchio, Scott Radecic, Gerald Filardi, Navarro Bowman, Josh Hull, Charlie Zapiac, Don Graham, Mac Morrison, Jim Rosecrans, Trey Bauer, Brian Chizmar, John Ebersole, Phil Yaboah-Kodie, Jim Laslavic, Doug Allen, Ron Crosby, Rich Milot, Keith Goganious, Rich McKenzie, Reggie Givins, Josh Hull, Tim Shaw

There it is!!! How do you have a 1st Team that doesn’t include the top 2 tacklers of all time and an NFL Hall of Famer? I’m not sure either but that’s the way it worked out. The first two teams consist of 13 seasons of 1st Team All Americans and another 5 seasons on the Honorable Mention list. The Honorable Mention list is long due to so many great players that have been part of the “Linebacker U” legacy. What a tremendous group of players!!!

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State All Time Football Team – Part 4

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 13, 2012 at 8:06 am

PART 4– Now that the Joe Paterno era of Penn State football has officially ended I wanted to have some fun and come up with my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. There was actually a lot of thought that went in to this. I did a good bit of statistical research, used my long memory of Penn State football games and seasons gone bye and of course a lot of my opinion. I also tried to base my picks on their Penn State career and not their NFL career which leaves a few NFL Hall of Famers off the 1st Team. Please feel free to leave your comments. All positions can easily be disputed since there have been many great players to come through Happy Valley. I’ve even taken the liberty to add a few extra players because I couldn’t split the hair on who to pick. It was tough enough as it was. Part 1, I will pick the Offensive Line (5) and TE (1). Part 2, I will pick the WR (3) and QB (1). Part 3 I will pick the RB (3) and it was tough. Part 4 the DL (4), and DB’s (4) and Part 5 I will pick the LB’s (4), it was impossible and I may still change my mind at the last second, the kicker (1) and punter (1).  I’ve added a 2nd Team and an Honorable Mention list.

LET THE ARGUMENTS BEGIN!!!!

I have selected 4 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN on my 1st Team. I actually found this to be the easiest group to pick. Here you go:

Courtney Brown – 1st Team All American (‘99). Courtney won the Nagurski, Bednarik and Lombardi Awards as well as being named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. He ranks #1 in career sacks with 33 and career tackles for loss with 70. He was unblockable. Brown was the 1st selection in the 2000 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played in the NFL from 2000-2006.

Bruce Clark – 2-Time 1st Team All American (‘78 &’79) Bruce was the first junior to win the Lombardi Award as the top defensive lineman in the country. He finished 8th in career sacks with 19 and 4th in career tackles for losses. Clark was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers but never played for them. He played in the CFL, NFL and WFL from 1980-1991.

Mike Reid – 1st Team All American (‘69). Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Reid won the Outland Trophy and Maxwell Trophy in 1969. Mike holds the PSU record of recording 3 safeties in a game, season and career. He received the Walter Camp “Alumnus of the Year” award in 1987. In 1995, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. Reid was a 1st round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in the NFL from 1970-74. He played in 2 Pro Bowls.

Devon Still – 1st Team All American (‘11). Still just completed his Penn State career by making every 1st team All American team and being selected Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.

2nd Team:

Matt Millen –1st Team All American (‘79). Millen played on the same defensive line as Bruce Clark. Matt ranks #5 in career sacks with 22. Millen was drafted in the 2st round of the NFL draft by the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders. He was a linebacker in the NFL. He played in the NFL from 1980-1991. Matt was named All Pro 2 times and won 4 Super Bowl rings as a player.

Larry Kubin – Larry made sacks fashionable before they were as a defensive end. He recorded 30 in his PSU career second to Courtney Brown. Kubin was a 6st round draft pick of the Washington Redskins. He played in the NFL from 1981-1985. He earned 2 Super Bowl rings.

Steve Smear – 2nd Team All American (‘68). Smear teamed with Mike Reid on the D-Line helping make up the first of the great PSU defenses of the Paterno era. Steve was drafted in the 4th round by the Baltimore Colts but played instead in the CFL from 1970-75.

Randy Crowder – 1st Team All American (’73). Crowder anchored the defensive line for the undefeated team. He was a 6th round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins and played in the NFL from 1974-1980.

Honorable Mention:

Mike Hartenstein, Walker Lee Ashley, Tamba Hali, Tim Johnson, Randy Sidler, Lou Benfatti, Anthony Adams, Jimmy Kennedy, Aaron Maybin, Bob White,  Brad Scioli, Jared Odrick, Justin Kurpeikis, Michael Haynes, Jay Alford

I have selected 4 DEFENSIVE BACKS on my 1st Team. Here they are:

Neil Smith – 1st Team All American (’69). Neil still holds the PSU record for career interceptions with 19. He shares the single season interception record along with Pete Harris.

Pete Harris – 1st Team All American (’78). Pete shares the single season interception record with Neil Smith.

Mark Robinson – 1st Team All American (’82). Mark was the leader of a strong group of DB’s that won the 1982 National Championship and Sugar Bowl. He was a 4th round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in the NFL from 1984-1993.

Darren Perry – 1st Team All American (’91). Perry’s 299 interception return yards and three interceptions for touchdowns are school records. He was an 8th round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers and played in the NFL from 1992-2000. He was selected All Pro in 1994.

2nd TEAM:

Ray Isom – An anchor of the ’86 defensive back field that won the National Championship and beat up the Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl. Isom, as the free safety, led the hitting.

Bryan Scott – Three-year starter at Penn State, playing in all 48 career games, and finished his career with 202 tackles, five interceptions. He was a 2nd round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. He is still playing in the NFL.

Mike Zordich – 1st Team All American (‘85). A 4 year letterman at PSU who finished his career with 201 tackles. Mike was known for his toughness and hard hitting. He was drafted in the 9th round by the San Diego Chargers. He never played for them but played for the Jets, Cardinals and Eagles from 1987-1998.

Kim Herring – 1st Team All American (’96). Kim was a 2nd round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He played in the NFL from 1997-2005. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Harry Hamilton, Tony Pittman, Shawn Mayer, Alan Zemaitis, Paul Lankford, Leonard Humphries, Shelly Hammonds, David Macklin, James Boyd, Bhawoh Jue, Calvin Lowry, Justin King, Anthony Scirrotto

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State All Time Football Team – Part 3

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 12, 2012 at 5:56 am

PART 3 – Now that the Joe Paterno era of Penn State football has officially ended I wanted to have some fun and come up with my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. There was actually a lot of thought that went in to this. I did a good bit of statistical research, used my long memory of Penn State football games and seasons gone bye and of course a lot of my opinion. I also tried to base my picks on their Penn State career and not their NFL career which leaves a few NFL Hall of Famers off the 1st Team. Please feel free to leave your comments. All positions can easily be disputed since there have been many great players to come through Happy Valley. I’ve even taken the liberty to add a few extra players because I couldn’t split the hair on who to pick. It was tough enough as it was. Part 1, I will pick the Offensive Line (5) and TE (1). Part 2, I will pick the WR (3) and QB (1). Part 3 I will pick the RB (3) and it was tough. Part 4 the DL (4), and DB’s (4) and Part 5 I will pick the LB’s (4), it was impossible and I may still change my mind at the last second, the kicker (1) and punter (1).  I’ve added a 2nd Team and an Honorable Mention list.

LET THE ARGUMENTS BEGIN!!!!

I selected 3 RUNNING BACKS for my 1st Team and here they are:

Curt Warner – 2 Time All American (81 & 82) Curt was inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame. Warner was the leading rusher on the 1982 National Championship team that beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He is #2 All Time in career rushing yardage to Evan Royster – 3398. Most career 100 yard rushing games with 18; Warner rushed for 922 yards as a sophomore, 1044 as a junior and 1041 as a senior. He scored 24 career touchdowns. Curt was a 1st round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks. He played in the NFL from 1983-1990 and played in 3 Pro Bowls.

Ki-Jana Carter – 1st Team All American (94). Played only 3 seasons before becoming the #1 pick in the draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is #9 on the all time leading rusher list with 2829 yards. #3 in rushing yards in a season with 1539. #1 in 100 yard games in a season with 9. #3 in career TD’s scored with 34. #2 to Warner in career 100 yard games with 17. The statistic that put Carter on the 1st team was that he averaged 7.2 yards per carry for his career. He led the ground game for the 1994 undefeated team that is considered the greatest offense in Penn State history finishing 12-0 and beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Carter played through years of injuries but played off and on in the NFL from 1995-2004.

John Cappelletti – 1st Team All American (73).  Cappy was inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame. He won the 1973 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and UPI Player of the Year leading the Nittany Lions to an undefeated season.  Cappy rushed for 1117 yards and 12 TD’s as a junior and 1522 yards and 17 TD’s as a senior. His 1524 yards is #4 on the single season rushing list. Cappy also holds the record for 3 consecutive 200 yard games and career and single season carries. Winning the Heisman is a free pass to the 1st Team. John was a 1st round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the NFL from 1974-1983.

2nd Team:

Lydell Mitchell –1st Team All American (73). Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Ranks #8 on the all time career rushing yardage list with 2934 yards but only played 3 seasons  because freshman were not eligible to play. Lydell ranks #1 in career TD’s with 38. His 1567 yards his senior season rank #2 on the all time list for yardage in a season. Mitchell had 15 career 100 yard games. He teamed with Franco Harris in the PSU backfield. Lydell was a 2nd round draft choice of the Baltimore Colts. He played in the NFL from 1972-1980 and played in 2 Pro Bowls.  

Curtis Enis – 1st Team All American (97) Curtis is #5 on the PSU career rushing list with 3256 yards. He is second to Lydell Mitchell with 36 TD’s scored. Enis led the team in rushing for three straight seasons (95-97). He holds the PSU record for 8 consecutive 100 yard games. Enis is tied with Carter for 2nd on the all time list with 17 – 100 yard rushing games. Curtis was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He played in the NFL from 1998-2000.

Honorable Mention:

Larry Johnson, DJ Dozier, Blair Thomas, Evan Royster, Tony Hunt, Matt Suhey, Eric McCoo, Franco Harris, Charlie Pittman

It should be noted that Larry Johnson had the greatest single season for a running back in PSU history. LJ rushed for 2087 yards in 2002. He also has the top 4 single game rushing yards in history with 327, 279, 279 and 257 yards. LJ scored 26 career TD’s. He earned 1st Team All American honors in ’02. He also won the Maxwell, Doak Walker and Walter Camp Awards. The problem with putting Johnson higher than Honorable Mention is that he did it all in one season.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State All Time Football Team – Part 2

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 11, 2012 at 7:57 am

PART 2 – Now that the Joe Paterno era of Penn State football has officially ended I wanted to have some fun and come up with my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. There was actually a lot of thought that went in to this. I did a good bit of statistical research, used my long memory of Penn State football games and seasons gone bye and of course a lot of my opinion. I also tried to base my picks on their Penn State career and not their NFL career which leaves a few NFL Hall of Famers off the 1st Team. Please feel free to leave your comments. All positions can easily be disputed since there have been many great players to come through Happy Valley. I’ve even taken the liberty to add a few extra players because I couldn’t split the hair on who to pick. It was tough enough as it was. Part 1, I will pick the Offensive Line (5) and TE (1). Part 2, I will pick the WR (3) and QB (1). Part 3 I will pick the RB (3) and it was tough. Part 4 the DL (4), and DB’s (4) and Part 5 I will pick the LB’s (4), it was impossible and I may still change my mind at the last second, the kicker (1) and punter (1).  I’ve added a 2nd Team and an Honorable Mention list.

LET THE ARGUMENTS BEGIN!!!!

I selected 3 WIDE RECEIVERS for my 1st Team and here they are:

Bobby Engram – 1st Team All American (94).  Engram was the winner of the first ever Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the country. Engram is only PSU receiver with over 3000 yards in a career and 1000 yards in a season, which he did twice. He is also tops with 16 career 100 yard games and led the team in receiving 3 years in a row. He was a 1st round draft pick of the Chicago Bears and played in the NFL from 1995-2010. He was a recipient of the NFL Ed Block Courage Award.

Deon Butler – Butler is the all time leader in receptions in PSU history with 179. Although he never caught more than 48 balls in a season he was consistent in each of his 4 years catching 37, 48, 47 and 47 in those years. Deon holds the record for most receiving yards in a single game with 216. Butler was a 3rd round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks.

OJ McDuffie – 1st Team All American (92). McDuffie only had 2 big years at PSU but were they big! He caught 46 balls for 790 yards as a junior and 63 for 977 yards as a senior. McDuffie was a 1st round draft choice of the Miami Dolphins. He played in the NFL from 1993-2001. He was the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

2nd Team:

Jordan Norwood – Like Butler, Norwood was consistent throughout his career and finished with 158 receptions for 2015 yards. He ranks 4th all-time in receptions and 3rd in receiving yardage for his career. Jordan is presently a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Kenny Jackson – 2 Time All American (82 & 83). 1st round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson earns this spot based on his 25 TD’s since he is 8th on the all time receptions list. His stats are almost identical to Bryant Johnson except Johnson only caught 10 TD’s. That was the tie-breaker. Derrick Williams had far more receptions than Jackson but had fewer yards and less TD’s.

Honorable Mention:

Gregg Garrity, Joe Jurevicious, Scott Fitzkee, Bryant Johnson, Derrick Williams, Freddie Scott, Jack Curry, Ethan Kilmer

I have to give a special mention to Kilmer who started his career at Shippensburg, transferred to PSU and ended up playing in the NFL. He was picked in the 7th round by the Cincinnati Bengals and played 3 years in the NFL

QUARTERBACK:

1st Team

Kerry Collins – 1st Team All American (94). The leader of the most prolific offensive team in PSU history. He won the Maxwell, O’Brien and Baugh Awards as well as College QB of the Year while leading the Nittany Lions to a 12-0 record and a Rose Bowl victory. For his career he is ranked #5 in passing yardage, # 7 in completions. He threw 39 TD’s and 21 interceptions. He is tied with Zach Mills as the all-time leader in 200+ yard passing games with 16. He was a 1st round pick of the Carolina Panthers and played in the NFL from 1995 to the present. He has made 2 Pro Bowls.

2nd Team:

Chuck Fusina – Winner of the 1978 Maxwell Award. A great QB that led the 78 team to the Sugar Bowl and a chance at the National Championship. Fusina threw for 5382 yards in his career and is ranked #4 in that category. He threw 37 TD’s and 32 interceptions. He was a 5th round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played professionally from 1978-1986.

Honorable Mention:

Todd Balckledge – I wanted to put Blackledge on the 2nd Team but couldn’t. He is the career leader in interceptions thrown with 41 to go along with his 41 TD’s. He did lead the team to a National Championship which gets a lot of points with me.

Daryl l Clark – Big Ten Most Valuable Player. Clark threw for 5742 yards which ranks #3 all time. Daryll is the only PSU QB to pass for over 3000 yards in a season. He is the career leader in both TD’s thrown in a career and in a season. He completed 444 passes which is also 3rd. He threw 43 TD’s and 16 interceptions. Clark’s statistics should have put him on the 2nd Team but offenses are pass happy now compared to when Fusina played.

Zack Mills – Mills is the all time leader in passing yards, 7212, and completions, 606, in PSU history and a 4 year starter. Unfortunately those years were not great successes for the teams he quarterbacked. He is tied with Kerry Collins as the all-time leader in 200+ yard passing games with 16. He threw 41 TD’s and 39 interceptions. Zach holds the single game passing mark with 399 yards.

Tony Sacca – Sacca was also a 4 year starter that got pushed in to duty as a freshman due to injuries. He is #2 on the all time passing yardage list with 5869 yards. Like Mills his teams were not highly successful. Sacca finished his career throwing 41 TD’s and 24 interceptions.

John Shaffer – 2 year starter in 85 & 86. As a starter he lost only 1 game to Oklahoma for the National Championship. He came back in 86 and led PSU to the National Championship and a Fiesta Bowl win over Miami.

Chuck Burkhart – 2 year starter in 68 & 69. He led both of those teams to undefeated seasons.

John Hufnagel – All American (73). 2 year starter that converted from DB. He led the 73 team, along with John Cappelletti, to an undefeated season

Michael Robinson – Robinson makes the list strictly on his leadership skills and taking the team to the Orange Bowl and beating Florida State.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State Footbal All Time Team – Part 1

In Penn State All Time Team, Penn State Football on January 10, 2012 at 7:20 am

PART 1 – Now that the Joe Paterno era of Penn State football has officially ended I wanted to have some fun and come up with my All Time Joe Paterno Penn State football team. There was actually a lot of thought that went in to this. I did a good bit of statistical research, used my long memory of Penn State football games and seasons gone bye and of course a lot of my opinion. I also tried to base my picks on their Penn State career and not their NFL career which leaves a few NFL Hall of Famers off the 1st Team. Please feel free to leave your comments. All positions can easily be disputed since there have been many great players to come through Happy Valley. I’ve even taken the liberty to add a few extra players because I couldn’t split the hair on who to pick. It was tough enough as it was. Part 1, I will pick the Offensive Line (5) and TE (1). Part 2, I will pick the WR (3) and QB (1). Part 3 I will pick the RB’s (3) and it was tough.  Part 4 the DL (4), and DB’s (4) and Part 5 I will pick the LB’s (4), it was impossible and I may still change my mind at the last second, the kicker (1) and punter (1).  I’ve added a 2nd Team and an Honorable Mention list.

On the offensive line 1st Team I selected what turned out to be 3 guards and 2 tackles in no particular order.

Jeff Hartings – 2 Time All American (94 & 95) Hartings is my center since he played there in the NFL.  1st round draft pick of the Detroit Lions. Played in the in NFL from 1996-2006 and made 2 Pro Bowls.

Steve Wisniewski – 2 Time All American (87 & 88) 2nd round pick of the LA Raiders. He played for the Raiders from 1989-2001. He was named to 8 Pro Bowls and was selected to the NFL 90’s Team of the Decade.

Sean Farrell – 2 Time All American (80 & 81) 1st round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in the NFL from 1982-1992.

Keith Dorney – 2 Time All American (77 & 78) A member of the College Football Hall of Fame. 1st round draft pick of the Detroit Lions. He received the Ed Brock Courage Award from the NFL.

Mike Munchak – 2nd Team All American (80). First round draft pick of the Houston Oilers and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was selected to 9 Pro Bowls. Munch was selected to the NFL All Time 1980’s team. He received the Ed Brock Courage Award from the NFL.

Second Team:

Levi Brown – 2 time 2nd Team  All American (05 & 06) and the #5 player taken in the 1st Round of the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He is presently still playing for Arizona.

Tom Rafferty – 1st Team All American (75). 4th round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. He played in the NFL from 1976-1989. He is a member of the Cowboys All Time Team.

Marco Rivera – 6th round pick of the Green Bay Packers. He played on the same line with Hartings on the greatest offense in PSU history. He played in the NFL from 1996-2006. He was inducted in to the Packers Hall of Fame.

Kareem McKenzie -3th round pick of the New York Jets in 2001 and is still playing for the New York Giants.

AQ Shipley – 2008 Rimington Award Winner. All American and Big 10 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Winning the award alone had to get him on the team. For one year he was considered the best player at his position in the country. He was drafted by the Steelers and played briefly with the Eagles. His grit and determination as a small center was excellent.

Honorable Mention:

Irv Pankey, Charlie Getty, Dave Szott, Andre Johnson, Brad Benson, Chris Conlin, Stephon Wisniewski , John Nessell, Dave Joyner,  Bill Dugan, Todd Moules, Rich Ohrnberger, Jack Baiorunos, Rich Buzin, Keith Conlin, Bucky Greeley

Tight End:

1st Team:

Ted Kwalick – 2 Time All American (67 & 68) A member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Kwalick set the standard for what a TE should be.  A 1st round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. He played professionally from 1969-1977. He played in 3 Pro Bowls.

2nd Team:

Kyle Brady – All American 1994. 1st round draft pick of the New York Jets. I thought Brady was a fantastic football player at Penn State and maybe one of my all time favorites but I couldn’t put him ahead of Kwalick. Brady played in the NFL from 1995-2007.

Honorable Mention:

Troy Drayton, Mike McCloskey, Andrew Quarles, Mickey Schuler Sr., Dan Natale, Tony Stewart

%d bloggers like this: