Penn State Nittany Lions Reference Material / Research :
www.sports-reference.com/cfb/...
Notable Players from Penn State History:
- Jack Ham
o A dominant force at linebacker, Ham was an All-American at Penn State and went on to have a stellar NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning four Super Bowls and earning a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Franco Harris
o Harris was a standout at Penn State before becoming an NFL legend with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is best known for the "Immaculate Reception" and won four Super Bowls, earning a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Saquon Barkley
o One of the most dynamic players in recent Penn State history, Barkley set numerous school records. He was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and has quickly become one of the NFL's premier running backs.
- Kerry Collins
o Collins led Penn State to an undefeated season in 1994 and went on to have a lengthy NFL career, making two Pro Bowls and leading the New York Giants to a Super Bowl appearance.
You might also notice these other names of current NFL players from Penn State:
- Chris Godwin (WR - Tampa Bay)
- Micah Parsons (DE - Cowboys)
- Allen Robinson (WR - New York Giants)
- Jahan Dotson (WR - Washington Commanders)
- Miles Sanders (RB - Carolina Panthers)
- Mike Gesicki (TE - Miami Dolphins)
Top Offensive Players on the 2004 roster:
- QB: Zack Mills (1722 Yds, 9 TDs, 12 INTs)
- RB: Tony Hunt (1111 Yds from Scrimmage, 7 Rush TDs)
- QB/WR: Michael Robinson (172 Pass Yds, 33 Receptions, 485 Rec Yds, 3 Receiving TDs)
NFL Drafted Players on this roster (12):
- QB: Michael Robinson (SF 49ers, Seattle Seahawks)
o Switched to WR
- RB: Tony Hunt (Philly Eagles)
- TE: Isaac Smolka (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- K: Robbie Gould (Chicago Bears, New York Giants, SF 49ers)
o 17 Years in the NFL
- DL: John Bronson (Arizona Cardinals)
o Switched to TE
- DL: Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs)
o Switched to Linebacker
o 11 Years in the NFL
- LB: Dan Connor (Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants)
o 5 Years in NFL
- LB: Paul Posluszny (Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars)
o 10 years in the NFL
- LB: Tim Shaw (Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans)
o 5 Years in the NFL
- DB: Calvin Lowry (Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos)
o 3 Years in NFL
- DB: Anwar Phillips (Baltimore Ravens)
o 1 Season in the NFL
- P: Jeremy Kapinos (New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers)
o 4 Seasons in the NFL
Fun Facts:
- Penn State is one of the oldest football programs in the country, having been established in 1887
- This 2004 version of the Nittany Lions includes convicted Pedophile and Now-Former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky. There was a massive scandal surrounding Jerry Sandusky, in which he was sentenced to 30-60 years in prison, on June 22nd, 2012. The scandal resulted in the NCAA stripping recorded wins from the football program during Jerry Sandusky’s time as an assistant coach from 1998-2011. After some time, the NCAA decided to return those wins to the record, which put Joe Paterno back on top for most wins by an NCAA Division 1 Head Coach. If this had not happened, then the current winningest head coach in Division 1 college football history would be Eddie Robinson from Grambling State University, who has 408 wins - one less win than Joe Paterno.
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