November 24, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Jordan Hill (47) looks on prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The annual NFL Scouting Combine officially kicked off in Indianapolis yesterday.  The week-long event is a chance for hundreds of draft eligible players to get in front of scouts, coaches, and management from all 32 teams in the league both on the field, and perhaps just as importantly, off of it in individual meetings.  The Nittany Lions will have 4 representatives, linebackers Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges, center Matt Stankiewitch, and defensive tackle Jordan Hill.

Hill and Hodges are virtual locks to be drafted.  Both are currently projected in the 3rd to 4th rounds, depending on the service you trust.  Mauti and Stankiewitch are borderline late round/free agents, but could certainly make a move up teams draft boards with a strong showing in Indy.  Here’s a quick summary of what to expect, and keep an eye on for each player over the next few days.

JORDAN HILL

Jordan was the anchor of a dominant PSU defensive line this year, but lacks the prototypical size for a DT that would likely push him up into the earlier rounds.  Hill is listed at 6’2″, 294 lbs, with 32″ arm length.  I’ll tell you why that matters to the NFL in a minute.  But first, the positives.  Jordan’s smaller stature compared to other tackles makes him a much quicker player, and very good 1 on 1, or in space.  The NFL loves his motor and “never quit” attitude.  Unfortunately for him, those 32″ arms are seen as short, and he is not viewed as being exceptionally strong in the upper body.  Both of those cause him to be overpowered at times.  It will be key for Jordan to show that quickness that helps make up for his lack of size and elite strength, while maybe throwing up a few more reps on the bench press than is expected. He is also sure to impress in interviews with teams.

Next: Gerald Hodges

In addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Robinson is also a member of the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and honorable mention on Victory Bell Rings’ list of top Super Bowl performances by a PSU player. Robinson was the 1962 Gator Bowl MVP while playing offense and defense for the Nittany Lions. Penn State went 24-8 when Robinson started, and he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering.

While at Penn State, Robinson was the only African-American on the team and said in an interview with Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel that he was unable to eat with the team when they played teams in the south. Robinson also mentioned in the interview he would prefer one of his former coaches present him in the ceremony August 3rd but “Lombardi is gone, my college coach, Joe Paterno, just passed.”

Dave Robinson was selected three times to the Pro Bowl, twice was an AP All-Pro, and won three NFL Championships (including Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II). He was also named to the NFL’s All-60s team at linebacker. During his 12 seasons in the NFL, Robinson played 127 out of 140 games for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. He stood out at the linebacker position on teams with four other Hall of Fame linebackers while with the Packers.

You can purchase tickets to the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement here.

Follow VBR Staff Writer Ryne Crabb on Twitter

Introduction
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2. Matt Bahr – Kicker, 1991, New York Giants: Super Bowl XXV between the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants was played at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, FL. New York won 20-19, the only Super Bowl ever to be decided by one point. The game is remembered historically for two reasons: 1) Whitney Houston’s rendition of the national anthem, which went on to be a top 20 hit and 2) Scott Norwood, wide right. Running back Ottis Anderson, who ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, was named MVP.

Matt Bahr, drafted in the 6th round (165th overall) in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, played 17 seasons in the NFL. Although we mentioned the Bahr Brothers in the honorable mention section, Matt deserves a spot on his own on our top ten performances list. In the closest Super Bowl in history, Matt went 2-2 on PAT attempts and a perfect 2-2 on field goal attempts, including what proved to be the game winner. Worth noting in the NFC Championship game, Bahr went 5-5 including the game winner as time expired to get the Giants to the Super Bowl in a 15-13 victory.

Bahr deserves the #2 spot on the list because of his clutch kicking and impact on the game. He started the game by kicking off to the Bills and making the tackle on the opening kickoff play. He started the scoring with a 28-yard field goal on the Giants first possession. After his team fell behind, he made both extra points to help give New York the lead17-12 going into the fourth quarter.

Buffalo quickly scored to take a 19-17 lead with 14:52 left in the game. When New York got the ball back, they drove the field behind Anderson and quarterback Jeff Hostetler. The 14-play, 74 yard drive stalled at the Buffalo three yard line when Hostetler’s pass was battled down incomplete. Bahr came on to the field and kicked a 21 yard field goal with 7:20 left in the game, making the score 20-19 New York. Buffalo was unable to cross midfield on their next possession, and their final possession ended when Norwood missed a 47 yard field goal attempt with four seconds left; the first of four consecutive Super Bowl defeats for the Bills.

1. Franco Harris – Running Back, 1975, Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl IX was played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, LA. Pittsburgh won 16-6 in a defensive struggle between the Steel Curtain and the Purple People Eaters. Proud Penn Stater Franco Harris rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown, good enough to earn him game MVP honors and #1 on our all-time list.

Franco Harris, drafted in the 1st round (13th overall) in the 1972 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl Champion. Harris was a horse in this game, carrying the ball 34 times for 158 yards and a touchdown. The game was, as advertised, a battle of two of the best defenses in the NFL and it showed. Neither team could get their offense going in the first half; the score was 2-0 Pittsburgh at the midway point. Harris was bottled up early, gaining only nine yards on his first four carries. Finally late in the first quarter Harris broke loose for 14 yards, and helped get the Steelers into field goal position, but they fumbled the snap and did not convert.

The teams continued to beat each other up in the 2nd quarter, and before breaking off a 25 yarder with under a minute left, Harris had 10 carries for only 22 yards. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, Harris started the second half running the same way he ended the first, going for 24 yards off left tackle on his first carry. Another Harris run to the right, and a nine yard sweep to the left gave Pittsburgh its first touchdown and a 9-0 lead it would never relinquish.

When Pittsburgh got the ball back with 11:16 left in the third quarter, they seemed determined to ride their young fullback to the victory line. 20 times in the next 35 plays, Harris was handed the ball behind the line of scrimmage. He gained 67 yards, but also fumbled twice, losing the ball once in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh picked him up as Mean Joe Greene recovered a fumble at the three yard line to prevent the Vikings from scoring. By pounding the ball with Harris and Rocky Bleier, Pittsburgh was able to gain yards and take time off the clock before finally scoring with 3:31 left in the game to make it 16-6. Harris was named MVP of his first Super Bowl, the first of four in his illustrious career. Not even Louis Freeh can take that away from him.

Thank you for following our list of top ten PSU performances in Super Bowl history! I saved the Excel file with all the winning players and their statistics that I used to create this list and article. If you are interested, feel free to download it here.

Follow VBR Staff Writer Ryne Crabb on Twitter

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4. Jack Ham – Linebacker, 1979, Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl XIII was the first rematch in the game’s history as the Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. Pittsburgh won 35-31 behind MVP Terry Bradshaw, who threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Interesting notes: 1) Both Dallas and Pittsburgh were trying to become the first team ever to win three Super Bowls. 2) Future Hall of Famers involved in the game included 14 players, both head coaches, and four front-office personnel. 3) Dallas is the only team, to date, that scored 30 points and lost in Super Bowl history.

Jack Ham, drafted in the 2nd round (34th overall) in the 1971 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames. In this game, featuring the league’s two best defenses, Ham’s efforts stood out as he recorded eight unassisted tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass deflection. Remember, as pointed out in the introduction, 70s-era Super Bowls had around 20% less offensive plays than current day Super Bowls. Even so, Ham’s efforts would put him in the top ten statistically in all Super Bowls played since the 2000 season.

Ham was squared up against Tony Dorsett for the majority of the game, trying to slow down one of the league’s most powerful runners. His first three tackles were all made stopping Dorsett, including a big tackle for a three yard loss on Dallas’ first possession after Pittsburgh tied the game 14-14.After gaining 38 yards on his first three carries, Dorsett was bottled up by Ham and the Steel Curtain; he only gained nine yards on his next four carries going into halftime. Fittingly, his last tackle of the game, and eight unassisted tackle of the game, was also on Dorsett.

One of the praises you always hear about Jack Ham was his ability to play against the run and defend against the pass, a rarity in that time. Ham showed his abilities in the Super Bowl making two tackles while in pass coverage, including a pass deflection on a key drive in the fourth quarter of the game. Ham also made two tackles in draw plays, designed to trick to defense into thinking pass before handing the ball off to the running back. Ham was all over the field and submitted a dominate defensive performance for the ages.

3. Franco Harris – Running Back, 1980, Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl XIV was a battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. It still holds the record for attendance with 103,985 fans at the game. Pittsburgh scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to win 31-19, their fourth Super Bowl in team history. Despite throwing three interceptions, quarterback Terry Bradshaw was named MVP.

Franco Harris, drafted in the 1st round (13th overall) in the 1972 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl Champion. In this game, Harris had two touchdowns and 46 yards on 20 carries, and three receptions for 66 yards. His 112 total yards are greater than either his 1976 or 1979 efforts. Harris’ two touchdowns in the 1980 Super Bowl equal the total of those two games combined.

Another day, another Franco Harris Super Bowl performance that makes our top ten list. If you’ve been following along since the beginning, you already know how this story goes: Pittsburgh starts the game pounding the ball on the ground to set up the pass. Their opening possession six straight runs (Harris 3 times for 5 yards, Rocky Bleier 3 for 16) until Bradshaw found Harris for a 32 yard pass. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the drive stalled and they had to settle for the field goal and an early 3-0 lead. Franco started their second possession off with a 12 yard run and finished it with a one yard sweep right to give Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter, but he only had two more carries for three yards the rest of the half as the Steelers trailed 13-10.

Starting the 2nd half with the ball, Pittsburgh ran Bleier once and Harris twice (for six yards) before Bradshaw connected with Lynn Swann for 47 yards and another Steeler lead. Harris collected good stats the rest of the quarter, but none led to Pittsburgh points as Los Angeles led 19-17 going into the fourth and final quarter. Harris ended up with two receptions, one for 14 yards, one for 20, and four carries (for only six yards) in the third quarter. He also collected a tackle after Bradshaw threw a pick in the red zone near the end of the half.

In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh scored early and never gave up the lead. Harris carried the ball five times to help kill out the clock and preserve the Steelers lead. With 1:49 left in the game, Franco iced it for his team with a one yard plunge into the end zone, his 2nd touchdown of the game. That score made it 31-19 and it would remain that way, giving Harris his fourth and final Super Bowl championship.
Check back tomorrow to find out the runner-up and who is #1!

Follow VBR Staff Writer Ryne Crabb on Twitter

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Introduction

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6. Matt Suhey – Fullback, 1986, Chicago Bears: In Super Bowl XX, the Chicago Bears faced off against the New England Patriots at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Chicago entered the game as 10 point favorites and rolled the cinderella Patriots 46-10. Chicago held New England to -19 yards in the first half, and only 123 for the game, and defensive end Richard Dent was named MVP.

Matt Suhey, drafted in the 2nd round (46th overall) in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, is a true Penn Stater. Matt Suhey’s father Steve Suhey lettered at Penn State, as did Matt and two of his brothers. Matt’s son, Joe Suhey also played for the Nittany Lions. During the 1985 season, Matt only had one rushing touchdown in 16 games. He matched that effort in the Super Bowl, carrying the ball 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown; he also added a 24 yard reception. Suhey’s main role on the team during the season was blocking for future Hall of Famer Walter Payton, however, in the Super Bowl the Patriots defense keyed on Payton.

After an opening series which was ended by a Payton fumble, the Bears ran Suhey twice for 12 yards, compared to only one carry for Payton. The drive ended with a field goal to tie the game 3-3. Late in the first quarter a fumble by the Patriots Craig James gave the Bears the ball at the New England 13. Suhey ran the ball two consecutive plays, the second attempt being an 11 yard carry for a touchdown to put Chicago up 13-3.

New England responded by going three and out and on Chicago’s first possession of the 2nd quarter, it was more Suhey. Quarterback Jim McMahon found Suhey for 24 yards down the left sideline, and handed the ball off to him three consecutive plays for 7 yards, 1 yard, and 3 yards to set up a first and goal on the 4. On the second play, McMahon took the ball himself the rout was on, 20-3 with 7:24 left in the half. Suhey had a potentially game-changing fumble on the next possession, but the revolutionary Chicago 46 defense bailed him out. To help close out the game in the second half, Suhey had three carries for 15 yards.

5. Franco Harris – Running Back, 1979, Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl XIII was the first rematch in the game’s history as the Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. Pittsburgh won 35-31 behind MVP Terry Bradshaw, who threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Interesting notes: 1) Both Dallas and Pittsburgh were trying to become the first team ever to win three Super Bowls. 2) Future Hall of Famers involved in the game included 14 players, both head coaches, and four front-office personnel. 3) Dallas is the only team, to date, that scored 30 points and lost in Super Bowl history.

Franco Harris, drafted in the 1st round (13th overall) in the 1972 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl Champion. In this game, Harris carried the ball 20 times for 68 yards and a touchdown and caught a 22 yard pass. Dallas and Pittsburgh had the top ranked defenses in the league, and behind “Too Tall” Jones did a good job bottling up Harris most of the day. On their first possession, they ran Harris twice but gained only one yard. They opened the second possession with Harris again, this time for five yards, and then two plays later Bradshaw found him for the 22 yard reception but the drive ended after a Bradshaw interception.

On the Steelers’ third possession, Harris started the drive with two carries for 15 yards, but Bradshaw fumbled the next play which led to a Dallas touchdown to tie the game 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. To start the second quarter, after a 10 yard pass, Pittsburgh ran Harris for 7, 1, and then 3 yards for a first down. Bradshaw threw two incompletions and collided with Harris causing him to fumble. It was picked up by “Hollywood” Henderson of Dallas and returned for a touchdown. When Pittsburgh got the ball back, it pounded Harris twice to the left side of the line before Bradshaw was able to find John Stallworth for a 75 yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14 with 10:25 left in the half.

Franco Harris carried the ball six times for -3 yards from that point leading up to the 4th quarter, twice being tackled for a loss by “Too Tall” Jones. On Pittsburgh’s first possession of the final quarter, Harris carried three times but only for nine yards. Then, with 7:10 left in the game, he broke loose for a 22 yard touchdown to give the Steelers as 28-17 lead. Dallas fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Pittsburgh added another touchdown to ice the game.

Check back tomorrow for numbers 3 and 4!

Follow VBR Staff Writer Ryne Crabb on Twitter

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8. Franco Harris – Running Back, 1976, Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl X showcased the Pittsburgh Steelers vs the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. Pittsburgh rallied in the fourth quarter to win 21-17 behind a Super Bowl record 161 yards on four catches from Lynn Swann, who was named MVP of the game.

Franco Harris, drafted in the 1st round (13th overall) in the 1972 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl Champion. Harris carried the ball 27 times for 82 yards, and added a 26 yard catch. On their first possession, the Steelers ran five consecutive plays, four of which by Harris who accumulated 16 yards before they had to punt. On the second possession, another four consecutive runs, two by Harris for 12 yards. Once the Cowboys defense sucked in to stuff the run, Bradshaw went deep to Swann for 32 yards, leading to a Steeler touchdown. Dallas was able to slow Harris after that, holding him to only 17 more yards to rest of the half.

Even though they were down at the halftime, 10-7, Pittsburgh continued to hammer the Cowboys with Harris. Five of their first six plays of the 2nd half were to Harris: they ran right, sweep right, left around, right off tackle, and left again. Pittsburgh was still down 10-7 going into the 4th quarter, and opened with a 26 yard pass to Harris. The Steelers continued to pound Harris into the Cowboys line, up 15-10 with 4:25 left in the 4th. The touchdown that sealed the deal that possession was simple: Franco for four yards, Franco for two yards, and then Bradshaw to Swann for the 64 yard TD.

7. Matt Millen – Linebacker, 1984, Los Angeles Raiders: Super Bowl XVIII was a battle between the Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, FL. The Raiders took an early lead and never looked back winning 38-9. Running back Marcus Allen was the MVP of the game, the only championship by a team from Los Angeles.

Matt Millen, drafted in the 2nd round (43rd overall) in the 1980 NFL Draft, was part of a feared Raiders defense featured Pro Bowlers Howie Long, Millen, and Rod Martin. Millen had six tackles and one sack in the game. On Washington’s second possession of the game Millen made two tackles on bruising running back John Riggins, who was last year’s Super Bowl MVP. When Joe Theismann had the Redskins driving on their first possession on the 2nd quarter, Millen came up with a huge sack when Theismann rolled out on the play. After the loss of seven yards, Washington was unable to convert and had to punt to Los Angeles, who drove down the field to take a 14-0 lead.

Millen’s most famous contribution to the game was a play he wasn’t even on the field. Trailing 14-3 with :12 seconds left in the first half, Washington called a “Rocket Screen.” Raiders LB coach recognized the play, and pulled an enraged Millen, who was going to blitz, off the field for Jack Squirek to jump the screen. He did, and took it all the way for a touchdown to give LA a commanding 21-3. Millen added three more tackles, all against Riggins, in the third quarter, which ended with the Raiders leading 35-9.

Check back tomorrow for numbers 6 and 5!

Introduction

10. Andre Collins/Tim Johnson – Linebacker/Defensive Lineman, 1992, Washington Redskins: Our only tie of our rankings, fittingly, goes to two teammates. Super Bowl XXVI pitted the Washington Redskins vs the Buffalo Bills at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN. The game was won 37-24 by Washington, led by game MVP Mark Rypien.

Tim Johnson, drafted in the 4th round (141st overall) in the 1987 NFL draft, was a key member of the 1986 Penn State National Championship team. In the Super Bowl, he had 3.5 tackles, including a tackle for a loss he shared with Andre Collins in the 2nd quarter against Thurman Thomas. With Buffalo driving in the third quarter, Johnson made a downfield tackle of wide receiver Don Beebe short of the first down marker. In the fourth quarter, Buffalo had just scored to make it 37-17, and recovered an onside kick. A 13 yard shotgun draw play from running back Kenneth Davis got Buffalo a 1st and goal. They tried to run the same play again to catch Washington off-guard, but Johnson made the tackle after only a three yard gain.

Andre Collins, drafted in the 2nd round (46th overall) in the 1990 NFL Draft, was the team’s leading tackler that season with 151 tackles. In the Super Bowl, he had 4.5 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss, including the aforementioned shared tackle for loss with Tim Johnson. Teammate Brad Edwards stole the show on defense with 4 tackles, 5 pass deflections, and two picks with 56 return yards, but Collins led the team in tackles from his linebacker position. He also keyed the Redskins defense that shut-out Buffalo in the first half, making them only the 9th team in history to do so. His biggest stop was with the Bills driving in the 2nd quarter trying to get a score before halftime; on a 2nd and two, he stuffed Thurman Thomas for a loss of four yards.

Ironically, Matt Millen was also on this team, his last season in the NFL.

9. Matt Millen – Linebacker, 1990, San Francisco 49ers: Super Bowl XXIV was a matchup of the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. The game was the most lopsided game in Super Bowl history as the 49ers rolled to a 55-10 victory, led by MVP Joe Montana.

Matt Millen, drafted in the 2nd round (43rd overall) in the 1980 NFL Draft, was part of a dominating 49ers defense that included Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley and Bill Romanowski. In the Super Bowl, he had 5.5 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. Two of his tackles came on Denver’s first drive of the game, bringing down running back Bobby Humphrey and quarterback John Elway on consecutive plays. San Francisco quickly put the game out of reach with scores in six of their first eight drives, but the 49ers defense prevented Denver from keeping pace. After a San Francisco touchdown to make it 20-3, Millen stopped Humphrey for a three yard loss on the first Broncos play. In the third quarter, the game well out of reach at 41-3, Millen teamed up with Haley to stop Humphrey for a 2 yard loss on 2nd and goal from the 1.

Check back tomorrow for numbers 8 and 7!

Follow Ryne Crabb on Twitter

O’Brien is said to have a very short list of teams he would consider leaving PSU for, which would seem to indicate that he is not actively looking to skip town less than 12 months after being hired.  Two teams that Mortensen specifically mentioned are the Cleveland Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles.  It is not known if either organization is one that would intrigue O’Brien.  The reported $9 million buy out also looms large, as does a contract that guarantees O’Brien, at minimum, in the neighborhood of $2.5 million annually for 7 more seasons in Happy Valley.

I have also been told that Penn State was not “caught by surprise” by these rumors, but no indication was given whether that means PSU is actively involved in renegotiating O’Brien’s contract.  It is also worth noting that ESPN did not report that O’Brien WAS leaving, just that several NFL franchises with openings have targeted him.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for all the latest on Penn State