Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/730644
on a team with Steve Largent, one of the greatest receivers, and Brian Blades, who is one of the most underrated receivers in NFL history. It was quite an honor." To get from Camden, S.C., to Seattle's all-time team was not without a stumble. After lettering as a backup receiver and punt returner in his true freshman season of 1991, Engram was thrown off the team and suspended from school for his in- volvement in the attempted burglary of a stereo from an apartment. He redeemed himself with the university's administra- tion and Paterno by remaining in State College and working at the Tavern Restaurant while staying in physical shape. In the opening game of the 1993 sea- son against Minnesota – in what was Penn State's first-ever game in the Big Ten Conference – Engram burst on the scene in spectacular fashion. He scored four touchdowns to set a school single- game record for receivers that still stands, helping lift the Lions to a 38-20 victory. "Never in my wildest imagination did I dream I would do that in my first game back," Engram said. He started every game for the next three years What truly made Engram special was his receiving in the clutch. His game- winning receptions at Michigan in 1994 and at Michigan State in '95 are among the most memorable in Penn State lore. Along with fellow All-Americans Collins and Ki-Jana Carter, Engram was an inte- gral part of one of the greatest offensive teams in college football history in 1994, when the undefeated Lions won the Big Ten title and 1995 Rose Bowl and finished No. 2 in the country. The pivotal game at Michigan in mid- October epitomized Engram's ability to rise to the occasion. With 4:46 left and the score tied, 24-24, Penn State took possession at its own 45-yard line. On first down, Engram leaped to snare a high pass from Collins, barely getting his left foot in bounds as he crossed the sideline for a 14-yard gain to the Michigan 41. Carter blasted off tackle on a draw for 26 yards to the Wolverines' 15. Two plays lost 1 yard, and on third down just about everyone in the stadium expected Penn State to run toward the middle to set up a field goal try. Instead, Engram found himself one-on-one with the cornerback on a post pattern, and he was wide open in the end zone when he caught Collins' touchdown pass. The Lions' defense went on to shut down Michigan, and the 31-24 victory catapulted them to No. 1 in the polls. Engram's clutch catch at Michigan State the next season didn't have the signifi- cance of the 1994 Michigan reception, but that one with the clock running out in the early-evening cold at Spartan Sta- dium in the last game of the regular sea- son was one of the most spectacular in Engram's 18 years of college and profes- sional football. With third place in the Big Ten and a berth in the Outback Bowl on the line, Penn State trailed Michigan State, 20-17, with 13 seconds left, no timeouts remaining and the ball at the Spartans' 4-yard line. Engram took a quick inside screen pass over the middle at the 5-yard line from quarterback Wally Richardson, ducked between two defend- ers who were about to crunch him at the 3, stumbled and dived across the goal line SEE ENGRAM PAGE 58 Penn State standout Lenkaitis dies Former Penn State football offensive lineman and team captain Bill Lenkaitis died Aug. 27 after an 18- month battle with brain cancer. Lenkaitis was a three-time letter- winner for the Nittany Lions and a co- captain on the 1967 Lambert Trophy team that went 8-2-1 and tied Florida State, 17-17, in the Gator Bowl. He played all three offensive line positions during his career, winning first-team Associated Press All-East honors as a senior and honorable mention acco- lades as a junior. Lenkaitis played one season under coach Rip Engle (1965) and two seasons under Joe Paterno. After an outstanding career for the Nittany Lions, Lenkaitis was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the sec- ond round of the 1968 AFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Chargers before moving to the New England Pa- triots, where he played 11 seasons. Of the 180 career games he played with the Chargers and Patriots, Lenkaitis started 135. He started all 16 in 1978 when the Patriots set a team NFL rushing record with 3,165 yards, a mark that still stands. Once his NFL career was over, the Youngstown, Ohio, native went on to become a dentist in New England. Lenkaitis earned his dental degree while he was an active NFL player. He became the Patriots' team dentist while he was still a member of the team. Lenkaitis is survived by his wife of 44 years, Donna; a son, Jamie; two daugh- ters, Kristen Thompson and Lauren Raffoni; six grandchildren; and a brother, Lew.