There's talent all around the country for college football teams to sift through when it comes to recruiting, but Penn State football has a soft spot for its in-state players.
Pennsylvania talent belongs with the Nittany Lions, and that's something coaches have harped on for decades. Former head coach Joe Paterno, specifically, prioritized in-state talent and making national names out of student-athletes whether they were in the spotlight as recruits or not.
Over his 46 years as Penn State's head coach, Paterno recruited thousands of players and a majority of his rosters each year was made up of Pennsylvania natives. Five in-state prospects, in particular, ended up becoming some of the best players in Nittany Lion history, and serve as proof that the blue and white don't need to go far to get the talent they're looking for.
The Lebanon, Pa. native, Kerry Collins, started his Penn State career at quarterback in 1991, but it was his decoarated senior season that put his name alongside the greats that have come through the Nittany Lions' program.
In 1994, Collins completed 176-of-264 passes for a 66.7 completion percentage. He totaled 2,679 yards and 21 passing touchdowns that season, both of which led the Big Ten. His completion rate also led the conference. While these numbers might not jump out as legendary today, during Collins' playing days, his single-season passing efficiency (172.9) was good for third-best all-time in college football history.
He was named the consensus 1994 All-America quarterback, MVP of the Big Ten, and won three national awards: the Maxwell Award given to the college player of the year, the Davey O'Brien Award given to the nation's best quarterback, and the Sammy Baugh Award given to the top passer in the country.
Collins was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 draft, and started his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. Despite having a 17-year professional career, Collins looks back on his college past the most. In 2018, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Paul Posluzsny didn't reach star quality until his junior year, and he put up two incredible seasons at linebacker for the Nittany Lions. The Hopewell, Pa. native totaled 116 combined tackles in both of his final two seasons and finished his career with 20.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
In 2005, Posluszny helped Penn State to its Orange Bowl victory and was named the winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player in the country) and Dick Butkus Award (best linebacker in the country). This was the first of two seasons he won the award for best defensive player in college, and he remains only one of two players in college football history to win the Chuck Bednarik Award twice. After both seasons, Posluszny was tabbed a First-Team All-American as well. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
The Buffalo Bills selected Posluzsny 34th overall in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and he completed an 11-year career in the NFL.
LaVar Arrington's Penn State career ended with a surplus of honors and a play nicknamed after him — the "LaVar Leap" — after his fourth-and-short jump over Illinois' offensive lineman that took the Fighting Illini offensive off the field.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native totaled 173 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, and three interceptions over his career, which landed him as a fan favorite to be placed on the "Mount Rushmore of Penn State Football." He was the first sophomore to be named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (1998) as well.
The Nittany Lions won three bowl games with Arrington on the squad, and they finished in the top 20 in the nation each year as well. The linebacker finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1999, which was also the season he secured his second First Team All-Big Ten recognition in his career.
Washington selected Arrington No. 2 overall in the 2000 draft, and he had a seven-year career in the NFL. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Another dominant linebacker that came through Penn State's program was Johnstown, Pa. native Jack Ham. Ham barely made it onto the team, taking the last available scholarship in 1967, but he proved exactly why he deserved that spot.
Ham had 251 tackles over his three-year career and helped Penn State put together two consecutive undefeated seasons. He set a record for blocked punts (three) in a single-season, which was tied over two decades later in 1989. In 1970, he was a consensus All-American after putting up 91 tackles and four interceptions.
He was another former Nittany Lion who earned a spot on the fan's "Mount Rushmore."
"Ham's career is a monument to the work ethic. He was not a highly recruited athlete, but his exceptional intelligence and capacity for hard work made him an extraordinary football player," Paterno said of his former player, according to Ham's College Football Hall of Fame bio. "I don't think any of us knew then what an enormous talent we were getting. [Ham] will always be the consummate Penn Stater."
Ham was the 34th overall pick in the 1971 draft, going to the Pittsbugh Steelers in the second round. He had a 12-year career professionally and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
At No. 1 is running back John Cappelletti, a Philadelphia, Pa. native who started his collegiate career at defensive back before switching over to offense for his second and third seasons.
That position switch ended up turning Cappelletti into one of the greatest players in Penn State history. Paterno centered his offense around him, and it paid off. While at running back, the Nittany Lions finished 10-2 and 12-0 in 1972 and 1973, respectively. Cappelletti totaled 1,522 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in his final season at Penn State and was a unanimous All-American. The recognition didn't end there. Cappelletti was honored as the 1973 Heisman Trophy winner, Maxwell Award winner, and Walter Camp Award winner.
He totaled 2,639 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, both of which remain in the top 15 in Penn State history, on 519 carries as a Nittany Lion.
Cappelletti was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993, 10 years after his NFL career ended. He was drafted No. 11 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1974 NFL Draft.
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