July 22, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
NITTANY LION LINES WITH LOU PRATO: BAHR AND COLLINS LEAD PENN STATE PLAYERS IN NFL LONGEVITY
Quarterback Kerry Collins spent more time on the field in the National Football League than any other Penn State player. Collins announced his retirement earlier this month after 16 active years in the NFL, one year short of tying kicker Matt Bahr's Penn State longevity record of 17 years. Six other players are tied at the third most years with 14, including Matt's older brother, Chris.
That a kicker holds the longevity record should not be surprising because he has less physical contact when on the field. But there is really no comparison in durability between a so-called "everyday player" and a kicker of extra points and field goals.
Certainly a kicker has pressure because he will often be sent into the game in the waning seconds with the outcome on the line. That is still a vast difference when compared to the constant pressure, mental strain and physical battering that the starting quarterback endures for much of the 60 minutes of each game.
And for nearly all of his 16 seasons, Collins was a starting quarterback, most prominently with Carolina--the team that drafted him in the first round in 1995--and the New York Giants--the team he led to the verge of the Super Bowl championship in 2000. Collins played more than three seasons with Carolina, five with New York, two with Oakland, and half of a season with New Orleans before finishing out his career with Tennessee the last five years.
It was those final seasons with the Titans that Collins surely proved his value and his durability. He originally signed in 2006, leaving his starting job at Oakland to be backup to rookie Vince Young, who had led Texas to the national championship in 2005. Two years later, with Young struggling on the field, Collins became the full-time starter for that year, and in his last two seasons he played about as much as Young.
With Tennessee looking to go in a different direction for 2011, Collins had become a free agent, and there are several NFL teams that might have been interested in having him on the sidelines as quarterback insurance. He decided it was time to go on with the rest of his life, saying " my willingness to commit to the preparation necessary to play another season has waned to a level that I feel is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the position." That's a long-winded way of pointing out that pro football is a young man's game. Collins is 38-years-old, an aging "senior citizen" in the world of professional football where the average career lasts about five years. It was simply time for him to join the NFL's version of the AARP, the NFL Retired Players Association.
So, Collins retires after playing in 195 games, throwing for 40,441 yards, that makes puts him at No. 11 in the NFL's all-time records, between Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas. He also threw for 206 touchdowns and a 55.8 completion percentage. Career. Collins should be a strong candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame and perhaps the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Despite an injury before his sophomore season that inhibited his 1992 and 1993 seasons, Collins blossomed in 1994 when he became a consensus first-team All-American and a Heisman Trophy contender in leading one of the most prolific offenses in the history of college football--the 1994 Big Ten and 1995 Rose Bowl champions, who finished 12-0 and No. 2 in the polls. Collins broke six school passing records that season, and still holds the records for one season in yards passing, attempts, passing efficiency, and lowest interception percentage; the record for one game in passing attempts; and is tied with Zack Mills for most 200-yard games passing (16).
Collins is the last of the 18 players to retire who were drafted into the NFL or signed as free agents from that great 1994 team. Just five others made it for more than 10 years--wide receiver Bobby Engram (14), tight end Kyle Brady (13), guard-center Jeff Hartings (11), guard Marco Rivera (11) and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius (11/10).
In fact, of the 324 Nittany Lions drafted by the NFL since the first one in 1940, center-linebacker Leon Gajecki, it is a select 45 who reached or surpassed the 10-year mark--plus defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson, who played 12 years with four different teams after signing as a free agent in 1994. Only one is still active, tackle Kareem McKenzie, who will start his 11th year with the New York Jets in 2011. Of course, many of the draftees, including Gajecki, never played in the NFL for one reason or another. The only other quarterback in the group is Milt Plum, who spent 13 years (1957-69) with four different teams and was a starter in Cleveland and Detroit from 1957-67. Defensive and offensive linemen (not including three tight ends) dominate the list with 21, followed by eight linebackers and five running backs, and including two kickers and a punter, Bob Parsons of the Chicago Bears, who also doubled occasionally as a tight end.
Here is the list of the 46 Penn State players with 10 or more years in the NFL:
17 - Matt Bahr, Kicker - 1979-92 (Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Cleveland, New York Giants, Philadelphia, New England)
16 - Kerry Collins, Quarterback - 1995-2010 (Carolina, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland, Tennessee)
14 - Bill Lenkaitis, Center/Guard - 1968-81 (San Diego, New England)
14 - Chris Bahr, Kicker - 1976 -89 (Cincinnati, Oakland/LA Raiders, San Diego)
14 - Tom Rafferty, Guard/Center - 1976-89 (Dallas)
14 - Mickey Shuler Sr., Tight End - 1978-91 (New York Jets, Philadelphia)
14 - Dave Szott, Guard - 1990-2003 (Kansas City, Washington, New York Jets)
14 - Bobby Engram, Wide Receiver -1996-2009 (Chicago, Seattle, Kansas City)
13 - Milt Plum, Quarterback - 1957-69 (Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants)
13 - Franco Harris, Running Back - 1972-84 (Pittsburgh, Seattle)
13 - Mike Hartenstine, Defensive End - 1975-87 (Chicago, Minnesota)
13 - Irv Pankey, Tackle - 1980-92 (Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis)
13 - Steve Wisniewski, Guard - 1989-2001 (Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders)
13 - Kyle Brady, Tight End - 1995-2007 (New York Jets, Jacksonville, New England
12 - Rosey Grier, Defensive Tackle - 1955-66 (New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams)
12 - Lenny Moore, Running Back/Flanker - 1956-67 (Baltimore Colts)
12 - Dave Robinson, Linebacker - 1963-74 (Green Bay)
12 - Dave Rowe, Defensive Tackle - 1967-78 (New Orleans, New England, San Diego, Oakland, Baltimore Colts)
12 - Jack Ham, Linebacker - 1971-1982 (Pittsburgh)
12 - Bob Parsons, Tight End/Punter - 1972-83 (Chicago)
12 - Matt Millen, Linebacker - 1980-91 (Oakland/LA Raiders, San Francisco, Washington)
12 - Mike Munchak, Guard - 1982-93 (Houston Oilers)
12 - Scott Radecic, Linebacker - 1984-95 (Kansas City, Buffalo, Indianapolis)
12 - Ron Heller, Tackle - 1984-95 (Tampa, Philadelphia, Miami)
12 - Michael Zordich Sr., Defensive Back - 1987-98 (New York Jets, Phoenix, Philadelphia)
12 - Roger Duffy, Center/Guard - 1990-2001 (New York Jets, Pittsburgh)
12 - Sam Gash, Fullback -1992-2003 (New England, Buffalo, Baltimore)
12 - Richie Anderson, Running Back - 1993-2004 (New York Jets, Dallas)
12 - Tyoka Jackson, Defensive Tackle - 1994, 1996-2006 (Miami, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Detroit)
11 - Ralph Baker, Linebacker - 1964-74 (New York Jets)
11- Sean Farrell, Guard - 1982-1992 (Tampa, New England, Denver, Seattle)
11- Jeff Hartings, Guard/Center - 1996-2006 (Detroit, Pittsburgh)
11 - Marco Rivera, Guard - 1996-2006 (Green Bay, Dallas)
11/10 - Joe Jurevicius, Wide Receiver - 1998-2008/07 (New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Cleveland [Jurevicius was on the active roster in 2008 but injured & DNP]
10 - Mike Michalske, Offensive and Defensive Guard - 1927-35, 1937 (New York Yankees, Green Bay)
10 - Chuck Drazenovich, Linebacker - 1950-59 (Washington)
10 - Dick Hoak, Running Back/Flanker - 1961-70 (Pittsburgh)
10 - Glenn Ressler, Guard -1965-74 (Baltimore Colts)
10 - Jim Laslavic, Linebacker - 1973-82 (Detroit, San Diego, Green Bay)
10 - John Cappelletti, Running Back - 1974-83 (Los Angeles Rams, San Diego).
10 - Charlie Getty, Tackle -1974-83 (Kansas City, Green Bay)
10 - Brad Benson, Center/Guard - 1978-87 (New York Giants)
10 - Paul Lankford, Defensive Back - 1982-91 (Miami)
10 - Tim Johnson, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle - 1987-96 (Pittsburgh, Washington, Cincinnati
10 - Andre Collins, Linebacker - 1990-99 (Washington, Cincinnati, Chicago)
*10 - Kareem McKenzie, Tackle - 2001-10 (New York Jets)
* Still Active
Lou Prato is the retired director of the Penn State All-Sports Museum and the author of four books about Penn State football, including Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in Penn State Football History.