Penn State Football: 30 greatest players of all-time

The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the more storied college football programs of all-time, and here are the 30 greatest players in school history.

When it comes to college football programs, there are few that have the kind of history that Penn State Nittany Lions have. The Nittany Lions have been a mainstay on the national level for over 100 years, and throughout their history, they have not only produced some of the more iconic moments in college football, but also some of the most iconic players.

Penn State football was established way back in 1887, and since that time, they have been one of the most successful programs in college football history. Sitting with the eighth-most wins of any college, the Nittany Lions have won two national titles, and have won 29 of their 48 bowl  game appearances.

The program is not without its black marks either, as its were issued a four-year postseason ban regarding the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Penn State also had to vacate all of their win between 1998 and 2011, as the NCAA nearly invoked the death penalty on the program.

Currently, Penn State is back at the top of the college football landscape, and have the program pointed in the right direction under head coach James Franklin. They have not won a national title since way back in 1986, and over thirty years later, they are itching to bring another championship back to Happy Valley.

Here are the 30 greatest players in program history.

During his time at Penn State, Sean Farrell established himself as one of the better offensive linemen the program has ever seen. A two-time All-American, playing alongside Mike Munchak on those early 1980s teams, Farrell turned himself into a first round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even if they did not mean to draft him at No. 17 overall.

The Buccaneers initially wanted to draft Booker Reese, but a blunder on draft day landed them Farrell instead. They would eventually get Reese later in the draft, but Farrell had the better career.

The native of Long Island, New York would play 11 seasons in the NFL, becoming an a Sporting News First-Team All-NFL selection in 1984, but would not have the kind of success at the next level that he did at Penn State.

An Outland and Lombardi Trophy finalist for Penn State, Farrell is one of the few offensive linemen in school history to be named an All-American twice. He left his mark on the school during his tenure in Happy Valley, and kicks off our list as the No. 30 ranked player in school history.