Top 10 Penn State bowl game individual rushing performances

Here is a look at the top 10 individual rushing performances in Penn State bowl history.

As we count down the days until Penn State kicks off against Ole Miss in the 2023 Peach Bowl, it’s fun to look back on some Nittany Lions’ bowl game history. Two standout backs, [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag], are expected to play in the bowl game this year so perhaps more memorable performances are on deck.

Penn State has had its share of quality running backs throughout its storied history, none more famous than [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] and [autotag]Franco Harris[/autotag]. Harris was a big and powerful runner who led the Nittany Lions to an undefeated season in 1971 as an All-American. He would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Barkley broke several Penn State rushing records during his time in Happy Valley and showed the innate ability to break off highlight plays. He was one of if not the most electrifying players in Penn State history

Do either of these two backs make the list of top-10 rushing performances in Penn State bowl game history?

Here are all 32 football players being recognized on Penn State’s senior day

Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson, Jaquan Brisker, Journey Brown among those being honored at Penn State’s senior day

Penn State will play its final game in Beaver Stadium for the 2021 season on Saturday afternoon against Rutgers. And with this being the final home game of the season, it is the final opportunity for 32 players to step foot on the field inside Beaver Stadium for a game. Penn State will recognize 32 players for senior day festivities prior to kicking off against Rutgers on Saturday.

Of course, this is a slightly different type of senior day. Of the 32 players being recognized on Saturday afternoon, three players will be going through the senior day ceremony for a second time. Jaquan Brisker, Tariq Castro-Fields, and Ben Wilson were all recognized in Penn State’s senior day ceremony last season, but the NCAA allowed all players to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the entire sports world. So those three players opted for one more season in Happy Valley.

Of note, Penn State will recognize Sean Clifford, who could still potentially return for another season in 2022 (also a result of the NCAA’s decision on extra years of eligibility for all). Clifford isn’t the only player who can take advantage of that option, but there remains plenty of discussion on whether or not Clifford will return for another season.

Clifford’s top receiving target, Jahan Dotson, will also be recognized. Although Dotson could return for another season as well, there is no suggestion he will do so. Dotson is expected to be one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, and some believe he could be a first-round pick.

Penn State will also recognize Journey Brown. Brown was forced to medically retire prior to the 2020 season after learning of a health concern that made continuing playing football a risky endeavor.

Here is the full list of players Penn State will honor during the senior day, as provided by Penn State’s athletics department;

  • Jaquan Brisker
  • Ellis Brooks
  • Journey Brown
  • Tariq Castro-Fields
  • Rafael Checa
  • Max Chizmar
  • Sean Clifford
  • Jahan Dotson
  • Arnold Ebiketie
  • Winston Eubanks
  • Henry Fessler
  • Fred Hansard
  • Drew Hartlaub
  • Vlad Hilling
  • Des Holmes
  • Bradley King
  • Will Knutsson
  • Kaleb Konigus
  • John Lovett
  • Jesse Luketa
  • Jordan Miner
  • Mike Miranda
  • PJ Mustipher
  • Jordan Stout
  • Cam Sullivan-Brown
  • Johnathan Sutherland
  • Derrick Tangelo
  • Dan Vasey
  • Justin Weller
  • Anthony Whigan
  • Ben Wilson
  • Eric Wilson

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Penn State RB Journey Brown retires from football due to heart condition

Penn State running back Journey Brown is retiring from football after being diagnosed with a heart condition

One of the top running backs in all of college football is having to walk away from the game due to medical reasons.

Penn State’s Journey Brown announced Wednesday via Twitter that he has been diagnosed with a heart condition, which will force him to retire from football.

Widely regarded as one of the top prospects at his position in the 2021 NFL draft class, Brown enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, topping 1,000 yards of total offense and scoring 13 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

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Penn State star RB Journey Brown retires from football due to heart disease

A heart disease is going to force Penn State’s Journey Brown to stop playing football.

The absence due to illness of starting Penn State running back Journey Brown from the 2020 team created questions. Brown answered them Wednesday by saying he has to retire from football due to being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Brown rushed for 890 yards, averaging almost seven yards per carry in 2019. He scored 12 rushing TDs for the Nittany Lions.

In the Cotton Bowl,  Brown set a Penn State bowl record with 202 yards in the Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis (12/28/19), topping Saquon Barkley’s 194 yards in the 2017 Rose Bowl.

He likely would have followed Barkley and Miles Sanders on the chain of  Penn State running backs to continue their careers in the NFL. Some early scouting reports felt Brown would be one of the first running backs off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft.

An explanation of the disease:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often goes undiagnosed because many people with the disease have few, if any, symptoms and can lead normal lives with no significant problems. However, in a small number of people with HCM, the thickened heart muscle can cause shortness of breath, chest pain or problems in the heart’s electrical system, resulting in life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or sudden death.

 

“His leadership on our team is significant,” head coach James Franklin said last month. “His leadership on our team is needed. His energy, he’s been phenomenal…We’re not losing Journey the man. Journey the man is going to be with us and will always be. We’re fortunate because that’s the thing that’s most important to me – who he is and what he represents for our program.

The Draft Network: Calls Journey Brown to Texas a ‘perfect fit’

Kyle Crabbs of the Draft Network explores possible transfers and calls Journey Brown to Texas a perfect fit, but is it?

Following the cancellation of the Big Ten season, many began to wonder about the players from the conference. Would the players look to transfer to another school planning on playing in the fall? Given that the conference announced intentions to play in the spring, players likely wouldn’t be able to transfer and be granted immediate eligibility.

However that didn’t stop the Draft Network from exploring the idea of who could transfer. In the article Kyle Crabbs picked one Big Ten running back to Texas as a perfect fit.

What the Draft Network says

Max Gersh / The Commercial Appeal,

Journey Brown, Penn State

How about a little lightning to go with all that thunder in the Texas backfield? The Longhorns were hard-pressed for backs last season and between the size of quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the QB power game and backs Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson (a former quarterback himself who only converted to running back ahead of the 2019 season), the Longhorns sure could use a little extra juice in the backfield.

The Longhorns didn’t offer Brown in the recruiting process (he ultimately decided to stay put in Pennsylvania), but they were one of just six teams that was pegged as an interested team by 247 Sports. The Lions run a wide open spread attack and, like Texas, offer plenty of QB run dynamics in their offense, so there are some parallels in the style of play that would make for a seemingly easy transition and offer a big upgrade to the Longhorns backfield.

With the devaluation of the running back position, Brown could use every boost he can find to his resume, even if it means a transfer for this fall.

The full article on the five Big Ten transfers can be found here.

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