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50 greatest college football players this century, ranked

By Jeremy Morris

Tim Tebow, #15 quarterback of the Florida Gators (Photo by Matt Marriott/University of Florida/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
Tim Tebow, #15 quarterback of the Florida Gators (Photo by Matt Marriott/University of Florida/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /
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Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /
  • 2× Chuck Bednarik Award (2005, 2006)
  • Dick Butkus Award (2005)
  • 2× Consensus All-American (2005, 2006)
  • 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2005, 2006)

After playing limited snaps in 2003 as a freshman, Posluszny entered the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2004. With 104 stops on the season, he was the leading tackler on one of the best defenses in the country. In spite of the fact that the Nittany Lions never allowed more than 21 points all season, they were hamstrung by an offense that didn’t crack double digits in five games and finished with a 4-7 record.

Going into 2005, Posluszny was named a team captain as a junior, making him the first non-senior to receive the honor at Penn State since 1968. He led the team in tackles for a second straight season, adding four sacks and 14 tackles for a loss.

Penn State rebounded from a dismal 2004 and finished the season 11-1 after a triple-OT victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Posluszny was recognized as a consensus All-American and took home both the Butkus and Bednarik Awards, making him the first Penn State player to win both outside of LaVar Arrington.

Although he was projected to be a first round pick in the 2006 draft, he elected to return for his senior season. Posluszny duplicated his outstanding junior season in 2006, again totaling 116 tackles, being voted as an All-American, and taking home another Bednarik Award.

Bonus Facts: He broke Penn State’s school record for tackles in 2006 and finished his career with 372. He also graduated a semester early with a 3.57 GPA in finance.

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