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cruiting quartet is the trio that helped lead the way to Penn State's success in the late 1970s and early '80s: Munchak, Sean Farrell and Jim Romano. A major differ- ence was that Romano was recruited one year before Farrell and Munchak and earned a letter at guard as a true freshman in 1977. Their development also was dif- ferent, but it all jelled in 1981, with guards Farrell and Munchak and center Romano anchoring the front line of the team that finished with a 10-2 record and was third in final polls. Many Penn State people such as Bove feel this may have been a better overall Penn State team than the one the following season that won the program's first national championship. "Tight end Vyto Kab was part of that, too, and he was a heck of a good player," Bove recalled. Anderson remembered a string of out- standing offensive linemen in that era, stretching back to another two-time All- American in 1977 and '78, tackle Keith Dorney, who is now in the College Foot- ball Hall of Fame. At the time, Farrell and Munchak were being called the best pair of guards in the nation. "They were that good," Anderson said, "and Romano was very good when he got his chance." Farrell was the superstar, a first-team All-American as a junior and a consensus All-American as a senior. He and Romano were from Long Island, N.Y., and Kab was from nearby Wayne in northern New Jer- sey. In the 1982 draft, Munchak was the eighth overall player taken, by Houston, with Farrell going to Tampa Bay as the 17th pick and Kab to Philadelphia as the 78th. Neither Farrell or Kab came close to matching Munchak's Hall of Fame career, although Farrell played 11 solid years, pri- marily with Tampa Bay and Denver, while Kab played in 59 games over six years, mostly with the Eagles. Which takes us back to the 1991 recruit- ing class. While Munchak and Dorney might be the most celebrated linemen the Nittany Lions have ever produced, Hart- ings and Rivera enjoyed great success at the pro level, and the '91 signees remain the best group of offensive line recruits in Penn State's history. ■ No. 76 in Lou Prato's book Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Price: $16.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable Also available with autograph: Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Price: $19.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable

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