Penn State Football: 30 greatest players of all-time

The No. 1 player in Penn State history on our list is linebacker LaVar Arrington, who was as special as they come during his time at Penn State. A two-time All-American, Arrington’s 1999 season is one of the best in the history of college football for a defensive player. He not only won the Dick Butkus Award, but was also the winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award as well.

Arrington played his high school ball in the state of Pennsylvania, as he was a standout player at Pittsburgh North Hills. In his three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Arrington put together a highlight reel of tremendous defensive plays. However, it was “The LaVar Leap” against Pittsburgh that may be the play he is most known for nationally.

A two-time First-Team All-Big Ten player, Arrington was an All-American in both 1998 and 1999, and decided to leave State College after his junior season. The Washington Redskins made him the second overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.

While he was not as good at the NFL level as he was in college, that has done nothing to diminish the effect he had on the Penn State program during his college days.

Arrington was the kind of player that does not come around too often. For a two-year period, he was the most feared defensive player in all of college football. He comes in at No. 1 on our rankings as the best player in Penn State history, because when you think of dominance on that side of the ball, Arrington’s career can stack up to any player in the history of the sport.