Penn State football: 5 most underrated Nittany Lions in program history
The five most underrated Penn State football players ever.
Penn State Football has a rich history that runs throughout the entire course of college football. The Nittany Lions have two national championships, is one of the winningest programs in the nation is home to some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Names like John Cappelletti and Saquon Barkley usually come to mind when thinking of the all-time great Nittany Lions.
Must Read. Penn State football schedule: Game-by-game predictions. light
But what about the players who don’t get the full recognition they deserve? The players who may have been overshadowed by bigger names? The players who were standout performers but were on under-performing teams?
Linebacker U has produced many talents in the middle of the defense, in the backfield of the offense and everywhere else on the field that has gone on to succeed in not just college but also the pros, but these are the top five most underrated players in Penn State football history.
806. (2000-2003). player. LB. Gino Capone. 5. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Gino Capone was a tackling machine for Penn State football.
As stated before, Penn State is known as Linebacker U so there’s no better way to start this list than with linebacker Gino Capone who played for the Nittany Lions from 2000-2003. During this four-year span, Penn State went a dismal 22-26, posting only one winning season that ended in defeat in the Capital One Bowl in 2002. During their early 21st Century struggles, their offense could never find its footing and was inconsistent at most times.
This led to Penn State’s defense providing extra support to keep the Nittany Lions in games. And, despite their below .500 record, Penn State’s defense still performed well on almost every Saturday. And Capone was a leading catalyst during those four-years. Capone was a leader who challenged his teammates and took responsibility for a team that needed it the most.
Capone never garnered any national recognition until the beginning of his senior year where he was named a member of the Butkus Award watch list, but still carried out what it meant to be a leader and x-factor on the Nittany Lions defense. Finding Capone’s name in the Penn State record books will be harder than most but his impression on LBU should be remembered by many.