NFL/Pro Awards
NFL Award Winners from Penn State—
Major Award Winners—
Super Bowl MVP—Franco Harris RB Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX (1974 season)
NFL MVP—No Penn State winners (most recently, Saquon Barkley finished 3rd in voting in 2024)
Bert Bell Award (Maxwell Club NFL MVP Award since 1959)—Saquon Barkley RB 2024 Philadelphia Eagles
Jim Thorpe Trophy (NEA NFL MVP Award 1955-2008)—Lenny Moore HB/FL 1964 Baltimore Colts (award based on poll of active players)
AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (since 1972)—Saquon Barkley RB 2024 Philadelphia Eagles
AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (since 1971)—No Penn State winners
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (since 1967)—Franco Harris RB 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers, Saquon Barkley RB 2018 New York Giants
AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (since 1967)—Shane Conlan LB 1987 Buffalo Bills, Micah Parsons LB 2021 Dallas Cowboys
AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year—Lenny Moore HB/FL 1964 Baltimore Colts
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (renamed 1999)—Franco Harris RB 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
Other Notable NFL Award Winners—
UPI AFC Player of the Year (1960-1996/name changed from AFL 1970)—Curt Warner RB 1983 & 1986 Seattle Seahawks
UPI NFL Rookie of the Year (defunct as of 1996)—Lenny Moore HB/FL 1956 Baltimore Colts
UPI AFC Rookie of the Year (defunct as of 1996)—Franco Harris RB 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers, Curt Warner RB 1983 Seattle Seahawks, Shane Conlan LB 1987 Buffalo Bills
NEA AFC Rookie of the Year—Franco Harris RB 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers
PFWA NFL Offensive Player of the Year—Saquon Barkley RB 2024 Philadelphia Eagles
PFWA NFL Defensive Player of the Year—Jack Ham LB 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
PFWA NFL Rookie of the Year (overall)—Micah Parsons LB 2021 Dallas Cowboys
PFWA NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year—Franco Harris RB 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers, Saquon Barkley RB 2018 New York Giants
PFWA NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year—Shane Conlan LB 1987 Buffalo Bills, Micah Parsons LB 2021 Dallas Cowboys
Sporting News NFL Offensive Player of the Year—Saquon Barkley RB 2024 Philadelphia Eagles
Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year—Saquon Barkley RB 2018 New York Giants
Sporting News AFC Rookie of the Year—Franco Harris RB 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year (Fan Vote)—Saquon Barkley RB 2018 New York Giants
101 Sportswriters NFC Defensive Player of the Year (since 1969)—Micah Parsons LB 2021 & 2023 Dallas Cowboys/2025 Green Bay Packers
Butkus Award (NFL’s Top Linebacker)—NaVorro Bowman LB 2013 San Francisco 49ers, Micah Parsons LB 2021 Dallas Cowboys
Alan Page Community Award—Franco Harris RB 1982 Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Pro Bowl & All-Pro—
Most Pro Bowl Selections (9)—Franco Harris RB Pittsburgh Steelers (1972 through 1980), Mike Munchak OG Houston Oilers (1984-1985, 1987-1993)
First Penn Stater selected to Pro Bowl (dates to 1939)—Chuck Cherundolo C/LB Pittsburgh Steelers 1941 & 1942 (then NFL All-Star Game)
Most First Team All-Pro Selections (6)—Jack Ham LB Pittsburgh Steelers (1974 through 1979)
First Penn Staters selected First Team All-Pro—Harry Robb HB/BB Canton Bulldogs 1922 (2nd Team 1923) & Robert ‘Duke’ Osborn G/C Canton Bulldogs 1922
Original USFL Major Awards/Honors (1983-85)—
USFL Championship Game MVP—Chuck Fusina (PSU QB 1975-78) 1984 QB Philadelphia Stars—Fusina was also QB of the 1985 USFL Champion Baltimore Stars
USFL Most Outstanding Quarterback—Chuck Fusina 1984 Philadelphia Stars (31 TDs, 9 INTs, & 3,837 yards passing)
Sporting News USFL Player of the Year—Chuck Fusina 1984 QB Philadelphia Stars
Sporting News USFL All-Star Team—Chuck Fusina 1984 QB Philadelphia Stars
All-USFL Team (League Official)—Pete Kugler (PSU DT/OT 1977-80) 1984 DT Philadelphia Stars
CFL Major Honors—
CFL Hall of Fame—John Hufnagel (PSU QB 1970-72) elected 2020 as Builder (CFL QB/Coach/GM/Exec. with Calgary, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, & Toronto)—Won 5 Grey Cup Championships: 1984 as QB Winnipeg, 1992 as OC Calgary, 2008 & 2014 as Head Coach Calgary, and 2018 as GM/President Calgary
CFL George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award (since 1953)—Pete Liske (PSU QB 1961-63) 1967 QB Calgary Stampeders, Don Jonas (PSU HB 1958-61) 1971 QB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
CFL Most Outstanding Rookie (since 1972)—Cameron Wake (played at PSU as Derek Wake LB 2000-2004) 2007 DE British Columbia Lions
CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player (since 1974)—Cameron Wake (played at PSU as Derek Wake LB 2000-2004) 2007 & 2008 DE British Columbia Lions—Wake was also named to CFL All-Decade Team for 2000’s
Terry Evanshen Trophy (CFL East Most Outstanding Player/since 1994)—Geno Lewis (PSU WR 2012-15/Oklahoma 2016) 2022 WR Montreal Alouettes
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (CFL West MVP first awarded in 1946—West MOP since 1973)—Pete Liske (PSU QB 1961-63) 1967 QB Calgary Stampeders, Don Jonas (PSU HB 1958-61) 1971 QB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
CFL West Most Outstanding Player (was separate award from Nicklin pre-1973)—Pete Liske (PSU QB 1961-63) 1967 QB Calgary Stampeders, Don Jonas (PSU HB 1958-61) 1971 QB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Jackie Parker Trophy (CFL West Most Outstanding Rookie/since 1974)—Cameron Wake (played at PSU as Derek Wake LB 2000-2004) 2007 DE British Columbia Lions
Norm Fieldgate Trophy (CFL West Most Outstanding Defensive Player/since 1974)—Cameron Wake (played at PSU as Derek Wake LB 2000-2004) 2007 & 2008 DE British Columbia Lions
Nittany Notes:
Penn State has ties to the very beginning of the NFL in 1920 when it was still known as the APFA (American Professional Football Association, 1920-21). Penn Staters also played key roles in two of the first 3 NFL Championship seasons.
Elgie “Yegg” Tobin who played HB/FB for the Nittany Lions 1911 to 1914 was the Head Coach (and part-time player) of the Akron Pros who would post an 8-0-3 record and lay claim the first ever “NFL” championship in 1920. (Two other teams, Decatur and Buffalo, reportedly disputed Akron’s title claims because they had more wins and had both tied Akron head-to-head, but the Pros are the official “first” APFA champs because they were the only unbeaten team.)
Tobin’s 1920 Pros featured African-American halfback/quarterback scoring sensation Fritz Pollard. In 1921, Pollard would become co-coach with Tobin making him the first black head coach in NFL history, and last until 1989. Tobin played 8 games in ‘21 after only appearing in 1 game in ‘20. Yegg made two starts at Blocking Back (a variation on the old-style QB position) in a tie and loss vs. the Buffalo All-Americans. Tobin’s 1921 Pros also featured former Rutgers All-American End Paul Robeson. Penn State’s Robeson Cultural Center at the HUB is named for him.
Also in 1920, the Canton Bulldogs of the APFA featured former Penn State All-American End Bob Higgins (1914-1916, 1919) playing for multi-sports legend, Jim Thorpe (Player/Coach). Canton lost both games to the eventual champion Akron Pros (10-0 & 7-0). Higgins lone touchdown that season came on a fumble recovery in the endzone in a 21-0 win over the Chicago Tigers (the first of two “fumble recovery-6’s in his pro career). Higgins played the 1921 season for Canton, as well, before shifting his attention to coaching which would result in his return to Penn State where he became head coach for 19 years starting in 1930. In the ‘21 season, Hig was joined by 5 other former Penn Staters (Larry Conover C, Charley Way WB, Harry Robb BB, Duke Osborn G, & Glenn Killinger HB). Those Bulldogs finished 5-2-3 that season but would win the 1922 NFL title with Robb and Osborn leading the charge to a 10-0-2 mark.
Bob Higgins only caught 1 touchdown pass in his 2 seasons in Canton (12 total games played) and the pass came from fellow Penn Stater Glenn Killinger. Killinger had joined the Bulldogs late in the 1921 season right after finishing his senior season for State just two weeks earlier. The TD pass to Higgins (unknown yardage) came in the first quarter of the mid-December, 28-14 win over the Washington Senators at DC’s American League Park. Higgins also kicked two points after touchdown in the win. It would be Higgins last professional game appearance, and it was Killinger’s only game ever with the Canton Bulldogs (Glenn would play only 1 more NFL game in 1926 for the New York Giants). In 1922, Killy moved on to a brief minor league baseball career mixed with some college football coaching (including a stint as an assistant at Penn State, 1923-26).