Penn State Football: 15 greatest PSU players of Joe Paterno era
By Josh Yourish
No. 7 greatest player of Joe Paterno era: Kerry Collins (1991-94)
- Career passing yards: 5,304
- Career passing touchdowns: 39
- 1994 Consensus All-American
- 1994 Davey O’Brien Award
- 1994 Maxwell Award
In 1994, Penn State should have gotten a shot at the national championship but was forced to play in the Rose Bowl after joining the Big 10 conference before the 1993 season. Paterno’s team finished the year 12-0 behind Kerry Collins, but No. 2 in the AP Poll.
Collins led the Big 10 in passing yards in his fantastic 1994 season. He threw for 2,679 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 10.1 yards per attempt. Collins was named the Maxwell Award winner in 1994 but wasn’t even the highest finisher in Heisman voting on the team. He finished fourth for the award.
Collins was drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft, but he wasn’t the highest drafted Nittany Lion either.
No. 6 greatest player of Joe Paterno era: Ki-Jana Carter (1992-94)
- Career rushing yards: 2,829
- Career rushing touchdowns: 34
- 1994 Consensus All-American
In 1994, Ki-Jana Carter had a breakout season. He had run for over 1,000 yards in 1993, but his final year at Penn State he went for 1,539 yards on the ground and 23 touchdowns. For his efforts, he finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to Rashaan Salaam.
In Penn State’s 1994 undefeated season, Carter capped off the year with an impressive Rose Bowl. He opened the game with an 83-yard touchdown and finished with 156 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.
That game bolstered his case as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft. The Bengals selected him in that spot a few months after the Rose Bowl victory.