Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic American monuments. Featuring four historic presidents, the sculpture in South Dakota represents decades of leadership and patriotism.
In sports, the term “Mount Rushmore” is used when talking about the four best players from a certain team, sport, or era. Often selected based on a combination of talent, statistics, iconic moments, and leadership abilities, debates are often fierce when it comes to who is deserving of being on the list.
Below are who we believe are the top four players from each generation of Penn State football. While performance was the largest factor in determining who is worthy of a Mount Rushmore spot, position, memorability, and fan-favorite status were taken into account.
Buckle up and get ready to journey into 80 years of Penn State football.
1960s: Franco Harris, Jack Ham, Glenn Ressler, Dave Robinson
Franco Harris wasn’t just a Penn State football star, he was a Pennsylvania hero. Accounting for both a college football and NFL Hall of Fame career, Harris was one of the best Nittany Lion running backs to ever do it. He eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark by the end of his Penn State career and led the team in scoring in 1970. Not only was Harris a great football player, but he was also a philanthropist.
The Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center and The Pittsburgh Foundation exist in his name to honor the impact he had on the community, helping with equity in higher education. His name could appear in both the 1960s or 1970s decades for a Mount Rushmore.
The 1960s saw some high IQ defensive players pass through college football, and for Penn State, the player that demonstrated this was most notably Jack Ham. A star linebacker for the university, Ham earned All-American status and set multiple school records, including the single-season blocked punt record that stood for over 30 years. Ham is a College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Glenn Ressler was an incredibly talented two-way player. He was a winner of the 1964 Maxwell Award and a consensus All-American. One of his most remarkable performances came in 1963 in a game against top-ranked Ohio State. Ressler accounted for 15 solo tackles, something that is unheard of in today’s game.
Dave Robinson was another Rip Engel era two-way star. In 1962, he was named one of the top linemen in the country, in addition to achieving All-American status. Robinson was the first Black Penn State football player to receive the honor. Known for his size and smarts, Robinson excelled on both the football field and in the classroom, earning a degree in civil engineering.
1970s: John Cappelletti, Bruce Clark, Lydell Mitchell, Chuck Fusina
Penn State has only had one Heisman winner in program history. John Cappelletti was awarded this honor in 1973, making him the best player in college football at the time. Cappelletti rushed for 1,522 yards in a season on a school-record 286 carries. During his three-year Penn State tenure, Cappelletti and the team only lost three games. Despite not being the best Nittany Lion running back of all time, winning the Heisman Trophy is a big enough honor to put him on any Penn State Mount Rushmore.
Bruce Clark was a Nittany Lion through and through. He was likely the best lineman in Penn State history and won the Lombardi Award for being the nation’s best lineman as a junior. He was a two-time consensus All-American. Originally a linebacker, Clark possessed a unique skillset, including quickness on the field, that made him one of the best to ever do it. Despite a knee injury that kept him off the field during his senior season, Clark rebounded and found much success in his professional career.
Lydell Mitchell had one of the greatest single seasons of all time. In 1971, he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting after accounting for 29 total touchdowns, an NCAA record, and breaking Penn State’s rushing record with 1,567 yards. He finished his career with nearly 3,000 rushing yards. Mitchell contributed to an undefeated season, although that occurred in the 1960s. His 1971 campaign alone is enough to give him Mount Rushmore status.
Chuck Fusina was the quarterback of the era. He was one of only two Nittany Lion quarterbacks to be named a consensus All-American, and led his team to an 11-0 season in 1978. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting that season and won the Maxwell Award. The season prior featured 2,221 passing yards, averaging 9 yards per attempt.
1980s: Curt Warner, Todd Blackledge, Shane Conlan, Steve Wisniewski
Curt Warner accounted for 42 new school records during his time at Penn State. These records included both rushing and all-purpose yardage. The running back also excelled in the postseason. He was a large contributor towards the 1982 national championship victory, and won Most Outstanding Player in two Fiesta Bowls. In games when Warner rushed for over 100 yards, the team amassed a perfect 18-0 record. His commitment to success and raw talent make him an obvious choice for the 1980s Mount Rushmore.
The signal caller of that 1982 championship team was quarterback Todd Blackledge. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Gregg Garrity in the Sugar Bowl will be immortalized forever in Penn State history, as it helped clinch the program’s first ever national title. A Penn State legend, Blackledge won the Davey O’Brien award, which is given to the nation’s best quarterback. One of his most prominent records at Penn State was the single-season touchdown passes mark, but his legacy is assuredly cemented in his ability to win it all.
Shane Conlan will best be remembered for his contributions to the 1986 national championship-winning season. In the Fiesta Bowl against Miami, he intercepted two of Vinny Testaverde’s passes en route to a 14-10 victory. One of those interceptions set up the game-winning touchdown. Conlan was a big part of the “Linebacker U” brand, as he finished top three in career and solo tackles for Penn State.
There are plenty of names I could have chosen for this final spot, Blair Thomas and D.J. Dozier being two, but I wanted to give the offensive line some love. Steve Wisniewski was one of the best Penn State linemen of all time, and the Fiesta Bowl national title wouldn’t have been possible without him. He was a two-time All-American and paved the way for the success of players like Thomas and Dozier. He was a man to be reckoned with at the guard position.
1990s: Ki-Jana Carter, Kerry Collins, LaVar Arrington, Bobby Engram
Everyone knows or has seen footage of the 1995 Rose Bowl vs. Oregon. On the Nittany Lions’ first play from scrimmage, Ki-Jana Carter broke through the Duck defense for an 83-yard touchdown run to start the scoring. That game eventually capped off an undefeated season for Penn State, in what many believe should have culminated with a share of the national title. Aside from Barkley, Carter is probably the second-best running back to ever come through Happy Valley. He finished his Penn State career with nearly 3,000 rushing yards, averaging an outstanding 7.2 yards per carry. Carter was also the first overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft, cementing Mount Rushmore status.
Most Penn Staters will argue that Kerry Collins is the best Penn State quarterback of all time, in large part due to the 1994 season. Collins held the school record for completion percentage and had a 40-9 record during his collegiate career. He captained the undefeated 1994 group and helped produce one of the best, most dynamic offenses in college football history. Collins sits in the College Football Hall of Fame and continues to give back financially to the university and community. He epitomized what it means to be a Penn Stater and is certainly one of the top four players of the 1990s.
When you hear “ST1X C1TY,” LaVar Arrington should be one of, if not the first, name that comes to mind. The “LaVar Leap” is the most iconic play by an individual in Penn State history. In a pivotal moment against Illinois in 1998, Arrington flew over the offensive line to make the stop for the Nittany Lions. Arrington was Linebacker U. He was intimidating to all who played against him and helped lead a suffocating Penn State defense. Over the course of his collegiate career, he was named the best linebacker in the country, best defensive player in the country, and finished in the top 10 for Heisman Trophy voting. Arrington also resides in the College Football Hall of Fame and will appear in nearly all renditions of a Penn State football Mount Rushmore.
While Courtney Brown could have easily been on this list, I’m going to go with the best Penn State wide receiver of all time, Bobby Engram. Until 2008, Engram held the program record for receptions, while he still has the record for career years, eclipsing the 3,000 mark, and touchdowns with 31. He was an instrumental part of the 1994 undefeated season.
2000s: Tamba Hali, Michael Robinson, Paul Posluszny, Larry Johnson
“The Fumble” is one of the most memorable moments of the 2000s for Penn State football. Thanks to a strip sack by Tamba Hali, the Nittany Lions secured a victory over Ohio State in front of a student section White Out. Hali prompted one of the loudest moments in Beaver Stadium history. Aside from that play, Hali led the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for a loss during his senior season, and was widely regarded as one of the nation’s top defenders. He also earned Penn State’s Robert B. Mitinger award, a testament to his strong character traits, leadership abilities, and courage on and off the gridiron.
Michael Robinson was a “Swiss Army Knife” for the first three years of his Penn State career. Taking on the roles of quarterback and running back, Robinson excelled all over the field. After he eventually settled into the signal-caller position, Robinson cemented himself as one of the best Penn Staters to ever do it. During his time as a Nittany Lion, he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting and earned himself the honor of being named the best offensive player in the country. Perhaps most notably, he was the quarterback during one of Penn State’s most notable bowl wins, the overtime Orange Bowl victory over Florida State.
Paul Posluszny was one of Penn State’s top linebackers and was a big piece of the team’s defensive identity in the 2000s. He was awarded the Bednarik Award for being the best defensive player in the nation twice, making himself one of only two people to achieve this feat. Posluszny was also given the honor of being the team captain for two seasons, something that is incredibly rare for Penn State football. He was credited for three seasons with over 100 tackles, and managed to lead the Nittany Lions in tackles for three out of his four years with the program.
Larry “LJ” Johnson is most known for his remarkable 2002 season. He broke the Penn State single-season rushing record, accruing 2,087 yards. In a game against Indiana, he ran for 327 yards and scored four touchdowns, marking one of the most impressive outings in college football history. He is a Doak Walker, Maxwell, and Walter Camp Award winner.
2010s: Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorley, Micah Parsons, Allen Robinson
There is a solid argument that Saquon Barkley is the greatest Penn State football player of all time. With a collegiate career spanning from 2015 to 2017, Barkley’s athleticism was put on display each and every game. From his ridiculous touchdown run in the Rose Bowl to opening kickoff returns in Columbus and against Indiana, to a stellar performance in the Big Ten Championship game, he could truly do it all. Barkley set the Penn State all-purpose yards record, rushing and total touchdowns record, and single-game all-purpose yards record with 358, to name a few of his accomplishments. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting following his junior season and is a clear choice for the 2010s Mount Rushmore.
Sorry, Christian, but Trace McSorley takes the crown for best quarterback of the decade. McSorley was a proven winner in all facets of the term. He was gritty, scrappy, and talented. With “The Wizard” under center, it felt as if Penn State was never out of a game. McSorley was the heart and soul of the 2016 team, the group that started the season 2-2 and ended up with a trophy in Indianapolis. He set the Penn State record for passing yards, completions, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. While Christian Hackenberg must be given credit for leading the offense during a difficult time in Penn State’s history, McSorley was a one-of-a-kind fan favorite and showcased more abilities on the field than No. 14. Hackenberg’s premature entrance into the NFL Draft also cost him a spot on Mount Rushmore.
Micah Parsons was a beast at linebacker. He was fast, aggressive, and epitomized what it meant to wear No. 11. Despite opting out of the 2020 season, Parsons still earned his spot on Mount Rushmore. He led the team in tackles as a freshman, the first time that had been achieved by any Nittany Lion. He also stands seventh all-time in forced fumbles at Penn State and earned Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors in 2019. Though one’s professional career is not taken into account for Mount Rushmore status, it is notable that Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the National Football League.
Everybody knows “the” photo. The picture of Allen Robinson catching the ball over the head of Michigan’s Channing Stribling to help force overtime in 2014 is engraved in the minds of Penn Staters everywhere. Not only is Robinson one of the best wide receivers in Penn State history statistics-wise, but he also gave Nittany Nation one of its most iconic moments. The quadruple overtime game against the Wolverines was Penn State’s first signature win since the Sandusky scandal. Without the ridiculous play by Robinson, the team would have likely lost that game. Robinson broke the Penn State single-season receiving yards and receptions record during his time in Happy Valley and is undoubtedly one of the best to wear the blue and white.
2020s: Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson, Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren
Whether you loved him or hated him as a quarterback, it would be disrespectful to not include Sean Clifford on the 2020s Mount Rushmore. Though he was often known for his questionable throws and long Penn State tenure, Clifford amassed multiple records as a Nittany Lion and led the team to its first Rose Bowl title since 1995. He set the Penn State record in nearly every passing category, including wins, passing touchdowns, total yards, and completion percentage. He showed tremendous grit and took pride in wearing the black shoes and basic blues. While Drew Allar may be the more talented quarterback, he still has a lot to prove as he enters his final season as a Nittany Lion.
While Nick Singleton has shown promise of being on this Mount Rushmore in the future, I’m going to have to give the honor to Jahan Dotson for now. Dotson was one of Penn State’s most talented receivers, notably setting the single-game Penn State receiving yards record with 242. Known for his highlight-reel catches, Dotson’s one-handed touchdown in the 2020 Ohio State game was an incredible display of athleticism, on par with Dotson’s skillset.
Abdul Carter, also known as Darth Vader, is coming off one of the best seasons by a defensive end of all time. After making the switch from linebacker, Carter proved that he could shut down offenses no matter the position. Carter is sixth all-time on the Penn State sacks list and had multiple games this past season with four tackles for a loss. Carter was a unanimous consensus All-American and earned the honor of being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Carter was one of the most intimidating players in the game, and the most recent to don the No. 11 for Penn State.
Tyler Warren could truly do it all. He could throw, catch, punt, play lineman, and run. His senior season was one of the best by a tight end in Penn State history. In a game against USC, Warren tied the FBS record for most receptions in a single game with 17. His stellar day continued with 224 receiving yards and a touchdown, on a play in which he snapped the ball and proceeded to catch it 32 yards downfield in the end zone. This game alone was enough to give him legend status, as the four-year Nittany Lion was an offensive playmaker like no other.
All Time: Saquon Barkley, LaVar Arrington, John Cappelletti, Kerry Collins
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
