When it comes to running backs from Penn State in the NFL, it’s a common belief that they come with some kind of curse. After all, there’s some pretty strong history to back that up.
Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, Curtis Enis and Booker Moore all had nice college careers in Happy Valley. But each of them flopped in the NFL for various reasons and that’s why the perception of Penn State running backs is so bad. But perception and reality don’t always match. Even before Saquon Barkley had a huge rookie year for the New York Giants last season, there was a strong counterargument that a fair amount of Penn State running backs had productive NFL careers. Barkley will only strengthen that argument because he showed signs he could end up having the most successful NFL career of any Penn State running back.
But Barkley’s going to have to produce in a similar way to what he did last season for a long time to get to the top of this list. Here’s a list of 11 Penn State running backs that were not NFL busts.
11. Matt Suhey
Suhey is part of what’s known as the “first family” of Penn State football. His grandfather and father played there. So did his two brothers and so did his son. Suhey went on to play for the Chicago Bears from 1980 through ’89. Although he was playing second fiddle to Walter Payton, he was a fan favorite and rushed 2,946 yards and 20 touchdowns.
10. Dick Hoak
Although he was only a seventh-round draft choice, Hoak had a nice NFL career, playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1961 through 1970. He rushed for 3,965 yards and 25 touchdowns. Upon his retirement, Hoak was No. 2 on Pittsburgh’s all-time rushing list. But he was far from done contributing to the Steelers. He re-joined the team in 1972 as running backs coach and held that position until retiring in 2006.
9. D.J. Dozier
Dozier is best known in Penn State circles for scoring the winning touchdown to give Penn State a Fiesta Bowl win over Miami and a national championship. Drafted in the first round by Minnesota in 1987, it could be argued that he was an NFL bust. He played only five seasons and had only 691 yards. But Dozier doesn’t quite fall into the same bust category as Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, Curtis Enis and Booker Moore. That’s because Dozier compares with Bo Jackson on a much lesser scale. Dozier’s passion was actually baseball. He quit football to pursue a career in professional football. He dabbled in the minors for a couple years before making it to the New York Mets, where he had a brief career.
8. John Cappelletti
Cappelletti wasn’t the best running back to ever play at Penn State, but his college career is the best known. In 1973, Cappelletti won the Heisman Trophy and gained national attention when he dedicated the award to his younger brother, Joey, who was battling leukemia. A movie, “Something For Joey’’ was made about that series of events. Cappelletti wasn’t explosive enough to excel in the NFL. But he managed to have a nine-year career, split between the Rams and Chargers. He was a dependable blocker and short-yardage runner, finishing his career with 2,951 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.
7. Gary Brown
Brown wasn’t a big-time prospect coming out of Penn State, mostly because he played safety for college career. He was drafted in the eighth round by the Houston Oilers in 1991 and he became the most pleasant surprise of all Penn State running backs. He ran for over 1,000 yards with the Oilers in 1993 and with the Giants in 1998. He also had 945 rushing yards with the Chargers in 1997. Also a dependable receiver, Brown was injured in a motorcycle accident after the 1998 season. He played again in 1999 and retired after deciding he wasn’t the same player he had been before the accident.
6. Lydell Mitchell
Although Franco Harris was getting most of the attention because he was winning Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, his college teammate Mitchell quietly also was one of the league’s better running backs of the era. Mitchell had his greatest success in Baltimore where he led the Colts to three consecutive AFC East championships. He topped 1,000 rushing yards in 1975, ’76 and ’77 and led the league in pass receptions in 1974 and ’77. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and split the final three years of his career between the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers. Mitchell finished his career with 6,534 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.
5. Curt Warner
Warner often gets overlooked for no apparent reason. He had a very solid NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, capped by a final season with the Los Angeles Rams. As a rookie in 1983, Warner was the AFC Offensive Player of the Year. He was a three-time All-Pro and finished his career with 6,844 rushing yards and 63 touchdowns.
4. Saquon Barkley
As long as Barkley stays healthy and plays long enough, he’ll be No. 1 on this list before all is said and done. He has the potential to be even better than Franco Harris and Lenny Moore. But it’s premature to anoint him as the Penn State running back with the greatest career. All he has to his credit is an outstanding rookie season with the New York Giants. While winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl, Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while also catching 91 passes for 721 yards and four touchdowns. He did all that without a lot of talent around him. If the Giants can give Barkley a better supporting cast in the coming years, he has a chance to be one of the greatest all-around running backs in NFL history.
3. Larry Johnson
After Lenny Moore and Franco Harris in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, several Penn State running backs were flops and that’s where the myth about runners from Happy Valley really got started. But when Larry Johnson entered the NFL in 2003, things changed. Drafted by Kansas City, spent seven seasons with the Chiefs and one season each with Cincinnati, Washington and Miami. But his two biggest seasons came in the middle of his Kansas City days. In 2005, he rushed for 1,750 yards and 20 touchdowns. The following year, he had 1,789 yards and 17 touchdowns and was first-team All-Pro. But Johnson carried the ball 752 times in those two seasons and there was talk about how the Chiefs had overused him. There was truth in that as Johnson never had another 1,000-yard season. He finished his career with 6,223 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns. But Johnson is paying a price for being a workhorse. In 2011, Johnson told The Washington Post he believes he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disorder some scientists claim comes from taking too many hits to the head.
2. Franco Harris
Harris’ career at Penn State wasn’t spectacular because he spent much of his time as a blocking back for Lydell Mitchell. But Harris was spectacular once he got to the NFL. Harris joined the Steelers in 1972 and instantly became a cornerstone of a Pittsburgh dynasty that included four Super Bowl championships. Harris was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team. In a 13-year career that included his final season in Seattle, Harris rushed for 12,120 yards and 91 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
1. Lenny Moore
A couple of generations before Saquon Barkley came along, there was more. He and Barkley are remarkably similar and you can even say Barkley is the second coming of Moore. Just like Barkley, Moore was an elite runner and pass catcher for the Baltimore Colts from 1956 through 1967. He rushed for 5,174 yards and 63 touchdowns and also caught 364 passes for 6,039 yards and 48 touchdowns. He was named to the NFL’s 50th anniversary team and the NFL’s 1950’s All-Decade Team. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
