Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M What could he be doing better? "Rushing, catching, blocking — every- thing," Allen said. "Everything continues to get better, and I just focus on the little things. Once you focus on little things, everything gets cleared up by itself. It isn't really the big thing. It's just all the small things, small details, that I still need to work on to hit my peak and then go out there and just play ball." A Record Run At Big Ten Media Days in July, Franklin expressed surprise that very little atten- tion was being paid to the fact that both Singleton and Allen were within reach of Evan Royster's PSU career rushing record of 3,932 yards. With half the season gone and the Lions all but eliminated from playoff contention, Singleton's chances of surpassing Royster are remote. With more opportunities, though, Allen could still reach it. Allen entered the Iowa game on Oct. 18 with 3,344 career rushing yards. That puts him 589 away from moving into sole possession of first place. It's pos- sible he'll get there, but it will require a more productive second half of the sea- son. Fortunately for Penn State, Allen is committed to doing whatever he can to maximize his contribution. "I've just tried to buy in more and make myself do more to get better re- sults," he said. "I feel like it's been paying off, but I still don't think I've hit my peak yet." It will be on the coaching staff to give him those carries, and then it's on the se- nior to continue doing what he has been doing so far this year and perhaps even find another gear that he considers to be that elusive "peak." From running over defenders to outracing them to the end zone and then doing his signature door- kick celebration, he is capable of sparking the team. He just needs the opportunity. "Him running guys over, it radiates energy throughout the group," senior of- fensive tackle Drew Shelton said. "That makes you excited to block for him, hon- estly. If we get him 2 yards and he goes and gets himself 5 more by running some guy over, that gets you excited and gets the rest of us juiced up." ■ Penn State's top 10 career rushers include six first-round NFL Draft picks (Curt Warner, D.J. Dozier, Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis, Larry Johnson and Saquon Barkley), a Super Bowl champion (Barkley) and an inductee into the Seattle Seahawks' Ring of Honor (Warner). And yet, none of those players top the list. That honor goes instead to Evan Royster, the last great running back of the Paterno era who rushed for 3,932 yards during his four seasons with the Nittany Lions. Royster topped 1,000 yards each of his last three years in the program, becoming the first PSU running back ever to do so. Late in his senior season, Royster broke the school rushing record that had stood since 1982. He surpassed Warner's 3,398-yard mark during a game against Michigan on Oct. 30, 2010, totaling 150 yards in Penn State's 41-31 victory over the visiting Wolverines. Despite his standout college career, Royster never hit it big in the NFL. He was chosen in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, going 177th overall to Washington, and spent three seasons in the league. He was released just ahead of the 2014 season when he was beaten out for Washington's third-team tailback job by his successor at Penn State, Silas Redd. After missing the 2014 NFL season, Royster tried to make a comeback with Atlanta the following year but was waived in training camp, bringing an end to his pro football ca- reer. He currently serves as vice president of an investment firm in Alexandria, Va. In the years since Royster left Penn State, only one player — Barkley — has approached his record. What makes Barkley's 3,843-yard total so impressive is that he did it in just three seasons. He could have easily become PSU's all-time leading rusher in 2018 but chose to forgo his final season, leaving Royster's record intact. Whether it's still standing after the 2025 season will depend on how well senior running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and their offensive teammates perform in the weeks ahead. — Matt Herb Since 2010, Royster has held Penn State's career rushing record with 3,932 yards. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Evan Royster Still Stands As PSU's All-Time Rushing Leader