Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1378330
and Hartings in 2005 when he won a ring with the Steelers. Brady was a starter with Jacksonville and the New York Jets for most of his 13-year career. Hartings started at right guard for Detroit from 1997 to 2000 and then at center for Pitts- burgh for the last six years of his career. Courtney Brown is Penn State's only other No. 1 overall draft pick, going to Cleveland with the first selection in 2000, with teammate LaVar Arrington chosen second by Washington that same year. Both were consensus All-Americans in 1999. Neither had the type of pro ca- reer everyone expected. After a very good rookie year at defensive end with Cleve- land, Brown's career cratered because of injuries. He did play on the losing side of the Super Bowl in his one season with Denver in 2005 before retiring. Knee in- juries also sidetracked Arrington's career after he lived up to the hype in his first four years when he played in three Pro Bowls. Later, Arrington had a major con- flict with management over his contract and retired after spending the 2006 sea- son with the Giants. Nowadays, Arrington is probably best known as a part-time television and radio sports broadcaster and an entrepreneur whose business ventures have included a sports agency and a football training pro- gram. Todd Blackledge also turned him- self into a well-respected college football analyst after being one of two Penn Staters selected in the first round of the 1983 draft. Curt Warner was chosen third overall by Seattle that year, while Kansas City selected Blackledge at No. 7. Despite missing his second pro season with an ACL injury, Warner had a stellar career in his seven years with the Sea- hawks, setting a career rushing record for the franchise that lasted 20 years. Warner was among the top 10 NFL rushers five times and made the Pro Bowl three times before retiring after one season with the Los Angeles Rams in 1990. Blackledge was misused by his coaches, who favored another quarterback with more experi- ence, and his five erratic seasons with the Chiefs zapped his confidence. He spent the 1988 and '89 seasons as a backup in Pittsburgh before retiring. Warner is in the College Football Hall of Fame, as are first-round draft choices John Cappelletti and Shane Conlan. Both Cappelletti and Conlan were part of drafts in which Penn State had more than one first-round selection. Penn State fans are well aware that Cap- pelletti is the school's only Heisman Tro- phy winner, but they may not realize that linebacker Ed O'Neil was selected ahead of him in the 1974 draft, going eighth overall to Detroit before Cappelletti was chosen at No. 14 by Los Angeles. O'Neil was a hardworking linebacker in six sea- sons with the Lions and one with Green Bay. Cappelletti had a fine career as a full- back for the Rams from 1974-78, missing the '79 season because of injuries and fin- ishing up with San Diego from 1980-83. He may be more famous now because of a popular made-for-TV movie about dedi- cating his Heisman Trophy to his younger brother Joey, who was dying of leukemia. Conlan was picked eighth overall by Buffalo in the 1987 draft, with tailback D.J. Dozier going 14th to Minnesota. Conlan was a standout inside linebacker in his seven seasons with the Bills, win- ning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and making the Pro Bowl three times. But during his tenure in Buffalo, the Bills became infamous for losing three consecutive Super Bowls. After three sea- sons with the Rams, Conlan retired. Dozier found himself out of place in the Vikings' offensive system. Frustrated by his role as a little-used backup in four seasons with Minnesota and one with Detroit, Dozier quit football and turned to baseball, reaching the major leagues with the New York Mets for 25 games before leaving professional sports. Back to Munchak in the 1982 draft. That TOP CATS Among the 39 Penn State players who have been taken in the first round of the draft since 1956 are Mun- chak (opposite page) and Warner (left). Munchak, a 1982 Houston draftee, went 11 picks ahead of fellow Nit- tany Lion of- fensive lineman Sean Farrell. Warner was selected by Seattle in 1983, just four picks ahead of his teammate Todd Black- ledge. BWI file photos