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Former Penn State stars accomplish unique feat in the NFL
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Penn State has produced some extraordinary NFL talent over the past few seasons. Several players have made the leap from State College to the professional ranks and have found success.
But two that have stood out more than others are running back Saquon Barkley and linebacker Micah Parsons. Both were first-round selections in their selective drafts and made significant contributions do their teams as rookies.
In 2018, Barkley was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. This season, Parsons was awarded the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. According to FOX, Penn State is the only college football program to produce a winner of each award over the past 10 years.
Considering the amount of talent programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and others produce, that’s a really impressive accomplishment. It’s another tool James Franklin can use on the recruiting trail, as well.
🔥 @PennStateFball is the only school with an offensive AND defensive Rookie of the Year in the last 10 NFL seasons
Which of these ROY winners was the most fun to watch in college? pic.twitter.com/w803e0t23h
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) February 11, 2022
Parsons led the Cowboys in sacks (13), TFL (20), QB hits (30), tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (3) and finished second on the team with 84 total tackles this season.
In 2018, Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and added 721 receiving yards. He was responsible for 15 total touchdowns in his rookie season with the Giants.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB