(EDITOR’S NOTE - This is one in a series of articles the Times News is running that ranks the top quarterbacks of the last half century for pro and college football teams with strong local followings. Today, Penn State quarterbacks are ranked. Still to come will be a list of the top Notre Dame quarterbacks.)

By JEFF MOELLER

tnsports@tnonline.com

When it comes to the best Penn State quarterbacks over the last 50 years, some easily come to mind, while others take a little more reflection.

Most times, when Penn State football history is talked about, the subject is the great Nittany Lions’ teams or the high profile linebackers and running backs who have made their mark in the pros.

On the other hand, Penn State signalcallers usually were strong college players who had trouble taking the next step.

Kerry Collins is the obvious exception. Collins not only excelled with the Nittany Lions, but had a standout NFL career with the New York Giants.

Watching the weekly Sunday morning Penn State highlight show and being a Temple graduate, I have seen these quarterbacks beat up on my Owls and many other teams over the years.

Penn State quarterbacks aren’t always mentioned in college football circles, but they have created their share of memories.

Here is one man’s top-10 list of Penn State quarterbacks since 1970 based on stats and accomplishments in college only:

1. Kerry Collins (1991-94)

Collins’ overall numbers and success are hard to dispute. He holds eight season or career marks at the school. Overall, his career numbers are 5,304 passing yards, 39 TDs, and a 56.3 completion percentage

Collins led Penn State to a 12-0 record in the 1994 season, leading the Lions to the first Big Ten championship in the school’s second year in the conference and the first Rose Bowl in school history. He also was a Maxwell Award winner and a Heisman Trophy finalist.

In 1995, he was the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. That began a 17-year NFL career with six different teams. Collins guided the Giants to the 2000 Super Bowl and has several team records. He threw for 40,922 yards with 208 touchdowns during his NFL career, He ranks 16th all-time in NFL passing yards and 11th overall in pass completions.

2. Chuck Fusina (1975-78

His choice as number two may draw some controversy, but Fusina had a solid career.

When he left Penn State in 1978, Fusina was the school’s all-time leading passer with 5,382 yards and 37 touchdowns. In his junior season, he passed for a career-high 2,221 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per attempt and passing for 15 touchdowns with a passer rating of 146.4. Fusina was a three-year starter and posted a 22-2 record over his final two seasons, but he didn’t claim a national championship.

He was a fifth-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 1979 NFL draft, and he also spent some time with Green Bay. However, Fusina found his pro niche with the USFL Philadelphia Stars, where he directed them to two league championships and passed for over 10,000 yards with 66 touchdowns.

3. Todd Blackledge (1980-82)

Blackledge’s championship ring and propensity for victories place him near the top of the list.

Blackledge was the quarterback for Penn State’s first national championship team in 1982 and threw 2,218 yards and 22 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He earned the Davey O’Brien Award for that season as the nation’s top passer and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He recorded a career mark of 31-5 and finished with 4,812 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and 41 interceptions.

The top pick of the Kansas City Chiefs and seventh overall selection in the 1983 NFL draft, Blackledge had a mediocre seven-year pro career between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers before he embarked on his current broadcast career.

4. Trace McSorley (2015-18)

He is one of the more recent standouts and probably one of the more unheralded quarterbacks in PSU history. His accomplishments may be further appreciated in a few more years.

McSorley became a Penn State record machine as he the holds the mark for career wins (31), completions (720), passing yards (9,899), passing touchdowns (77), total offense (11,596), rushing yards by a quarterback (1,697), and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (30). He also holds records for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (34), 300-yard passing games (10), and 200-yard passing games (28).

He led the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten Championship as a sophomore, and he was the MVP of the 2017 Fiesta Bowl. Many believed he would enter the NFL draft after his junior year. But McSorley returned and led the Nittany Lions to the 2018 Citrus Bowl.

McSorley was taken in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He is currentlyon the Ravens roster.

5. John Shaffer (1983-86)

Shaffer arguably had one of the two of the most productive seasons in Penn State history.

In his junior year, Shaffer guided the Nittany Lions to an 11-1 record and an appearance in Orange Bowl in which they lost the national championship to Oklahoma. The following season, Shaffer took the Nittany Lions to the crown with a win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. He posted a 25-1 mark as a starter and his claim to fame was his 66-1 record as a starter since seventh grade.

Shaffer signed with Dallas as a free agent the following May, but was released before the start of the season.

6. John Hufnagel (1970-72)

Hufnagel was the perfect complement to teams that featured Lydell Mitchell, Franco Harris, and John Cappelletti.

Hufnagel had some playing time as a sophomore and was the starter on the 1971 and 1972 teams that went 11-1 and 10-2 respectively. He threw for 2,039 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 1972 that ended with a loss to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Overall, Hufnagel had a modest statistical career with 3,545 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.

He was a 14th-round pick of Denver in the 1973 NFL draft and was a rarely used backup for two seasons. Hufnagel then played 15 years in the Canadian Football League before he began a career as a NFL quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He returned to Canada and worked his way to his current position as president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders.

7. Matt McGloin (2009-12)

Like many of his peers, McGloin was a solid collegiate performer. He was the first walk-on quarterback to start since 1949.

McGloin ended his Penn State career with a total of 6,390 career passing yards. In his senior year, he threw for 3,271 yards and set a new Penn State single-season passing record. His 24 touchdown passes tied the single-season school record. McGloin also could run the ball when needed.

The West Scranton native was signed as a free agent by the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in 2013 and served as a spot starter over the next eight seasons, having a brief stay with the Eagles in 2017. He made some headlines with the XFL New York Guardians before the league disbanded earlier this year.

8. Tony Sacca (1988-91)

Sacca was a highly regarded high school quarterback from South Jersey whose name is recognizable in Penn State lore.

Sacca was a two-year starter and threw for 5,869 yards - third on the all-time list - with 31 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He once held the PSU single-season passing mark when he threw for 2,488 yards in 1991. Still, he started slowly, and many believed he never reached his potential with head coach Joe Paterno.

He was a second-round pick of Arizona in the 1992 NFL draft, but his career fizzled. Sacca later had a two-year stint with Barcelona in the Europe League beginning in 1995.

9. Michael Robinson (2002-05)

Robinson is one of the most versatile Penn State quarterbacks over the past 50 years.

He won 27 games in four seasons in spite of having two losing ones in the process. Overall, Robinson threw for 3,531 yards with 23 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, and he also ran for 1,637 career yards with 20 rushing touchdowns.

In his senior year, Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, as he threw for 2,005 yards and rushed for 806 in leading his squad to an 11-1 mark and an exciting triple-overtime victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Robinson was a fourth-round pick of San Francisco in the 2006 NFL draft and had an eight-year career between the 49ers and Seahawks. He was converted in a running back and was a Pro Bowl pick in 2011.

10. Christian Heckenberg (2013-15)

The Times News area native is a sentimental favorite, and another one of the great college quarterbacks at PSU who couldn’t quite make a splash on the next level.

Hackenberg did make a big splash as a freshman quarterback for the Nittany Lions, as he set 10 records including throwing 20 touchdowns. Overall, Hackenberg threw for 8,318 yards with 48 touchdowns and 31 interceptions in three seasons in which his teams posted a 21-17 record.

Hackenberg was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2016 NFL draft. He was traded to Oakland and had short stays with the Eagles and Cincinnati before his career ended with some success with Memphis of the defunct Alliance of American Football League. He has recently begun a pursuit of a professional baseball career.

Honorable Mention

Those also considered were Wally Richardson (1992-96), Zack Mills (2001-04), and Darryl Clark (2006-09).