Penn State Football: 30 greatest players of all-time

When it comes to Penn State football, the program has a history of producing some of the more talented players in college football history. If there is a certain position that the program is known for churning out All-American after All-American, it is the linebacker position.

Penn State is often called Linebacker U, and for good reason. While the program has enjoyed numerous outstanding linebackers in its history, it all began in the late 1960s. It began with Dennis Onkotz, who was an absolute stud during his time in Happy Valley.

Onkotz came to the Nittany Lions from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and during his college days in State College, he was named an All-American in both 1968 and 1969. Onkotz helped the team to a 30-2-1 record, and due to his dominance on the field, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame back in 1995.

Incredibly athletic, Onkotz was not only a star linebacker for the team, but also a punt returner, and he averaged nearly 14 yards per return. He played so well at Penn State that he was selected in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where a broken leg ended his career after only nine games.

Still, his mark on the Penn State program is written in stone. Onkotz still has the record for interceptions by a linebacker with 11.