 |
|
| Friday, August 17 Former players remember Joe Paterno ESPN.com |
||||||||||
|
Over the course of Joe Paterno's 36 seasons as head coach at Penn State -- not to mention his 15 as an assistant -- he has coached thousands and thousands of players. More importantly, he has been as good of role model off the field for the players as he was a coach on it. ESPN.com tracked down a handful of players and asked them their memories of Joe Paterno. Click on the name and find out their memories of Joe Paterno.
Current Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington played for Joe Paterno at Penn State from 1995-1998. Arrington was the first sophomore ever to be named Big Ten defensive Player of the Year and the ninth linebacker under Paterno to receive first team All-America honors. Current Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady was an All-American at Penn State, where he played from 1991-1994. A native Pennsylvanian, Brady's 77 career receptions rank second behind Hall of Famer Ted Kwalick as the most receptions by a Nittany Lions tight end. Current Cleveland Browns defensive end Courtney Brown is the school record holder in sacks (33) and tackles for a loss (70) and competed for JoePa from 1996-1999. Former Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers running back John Cappelletti was the only Penn State player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, which he claimed in 1973. Playing for Paterno from 1971-1973, Cappelletti racked up 3,735 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns. Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris played for Joe Paterno at Penn State from 1969-1971. Harris, who played for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, ranks 12th on the schools all-time rushing list with 2,002 yards. Current Miami Dolphins wide receiver O.J. McDuffie broke or tied 15 school records for receiving, return and all-purpose yards during his tenure in State College, which lasted from 1989-1992. A consensus first-team All-American in 1992, McDuffie ranks seventh on the school's list for career all-purpose yards with 3,817. Former Baltimore Colts Pro Bowl running back Lydell Mitchell competed for Joe Paterno from 1969-1971. In 1971, Mitchell led the nation in points with 174 en route to a first-team All-America selection. Mitchell still holds the school record for most single-season touchdowns with 29 scores in 1971. Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Mike Reid played for JoePa from 1966-1969. After compiling 97 tackles in 1969, Reid won the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. A member of the National Football Foundation's college football Hall of Fame, Reid is now a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter. |
|
|||||||||
