Penn State Football: 20 Best Defensive Players in School History

Penn State's football program is rich on the defensive side of the ball.

Say what you want about Penn State's quarterbacks, but the Nittany Lions have produced quality defensive players throughout their program's history.

The Nittany Lions are historically loaded along the defensive line and in the linebacking core. The secondary lacks these gold standards, but does boast some standouts of its own.

Penn State is known as "Linebacker U" for a reason. They are the No. 1 program in college football in terms of elite, playmaking linebackers year after year.

But Penn State's best defensive players do not just play linebacker.

Here are Penn State's best defensive players of all-time:

Mike Reid

Mike Reid may be the best defensive tackle in Penn State football history.

Reid was named an All-American in 1969. He also won the Outland and Maxwell Trophies that season. He had 89 tackles and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.

Reid was one of Joe Paterno's first high-caliber defensive players. He changed games with his strength and quickness in the interior line.

Darren Perry

Darren Perry is one of the better defensive backs to ever suit up for Penn State.

The strong safety was named an All-American in 1991 and is second on Penn State's all-time leaders for interceptions. He had 15 over his career.

Perry's senior season accounted for six of those interceptions. He took two of those back for touchdowns. He had 299 career interception return yards and took three back for touchdowns over his career.

He went on to have an underrated career with the Pittsburgh Steelers along with brief stints in San Diego, Baltimore and New Orleans.

Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson was a versatile presence on the Nittany Lion defensive line from 1983 to 1986. He played defensive end and defensive tackle during his career.

Johnson's best season was 1986. He was named an All-American. Johnson and linebacker Shane Conlan were the focal points of Penn State's defense on their 1986 Orange Bowl team.

Johnson did not excel in one area, but he was solid across the board. He was disruptive and had a high motor.

Tamba Hali

Tamba Hali's 2005 campaign was electric to say the least.

He was a consensus All-American, the unanimous Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-Big Ten team. 

Hali led the Big Ten with 11 sacks in 2005 and also had 17 tackles for a loss. His 11 sacks are the sixth best single-season performance by a Nittany Lion.

Hali's 2005 season can be summed up in one play. He chased Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith down in the backfield and preserved a Nittany Lion victory over the rival Buckeyes.

His energy and nonstop motor were Hali's trademarks. He never quit on a play, and that resulted in a fine Penn State career.

Brandon Short

Brandon Short does not get the recognition of former teammate LaVar Arrington, but he was very good in his own right.

Short was a four-year starter and two-year captain for Joe Paterno.

He currently ranks ninth on Penn State's all-time tackles list and second in career tackles for a loss.

Short was first-team All-Big Ten in 1998 and 1999 and was a consensus All-American in 1999.

Exceptional instincts and above-average athleticism resulted in Short's ability to blow up plays in the backfield. He wreaked havoc next to Arrington and will always be remembered for his consistent play.

Andre Collins

Andre Collins was named an All-American in 1989 because of his excellent play at inside linebacker.

He was a Butkus Award finalist in 1989 and racked up the fourth-highest single season tackle total in Nittany Lion history.

Collins is seventh all-time in tackles at Penn State.

He is not remembered like the Greg Buttles or Shane Conlans of Penn State history, but Collins was an excellent leader and player for Joe Paterno throughout his career.

Neal Smith

Neal Smith may be the best defensive back in Penn State's long football history.

He was a 1969 All-American after walking on to the team in 1967. He intercepted 10 passes that season and struck fear into opposing quarterbacks.

Smith holds the career interception record at Penn State, with 19.

He played a long time ago, but Smith is certainly worth remembering.

The Nittany Lions are steeped in tradition along their front seven, but Smith stands out among Penn State's all-time players in the secondary.

Matt Millen

Matt Millen was a disruptive presence on the interior of Penn State's defensive line.

Millen's career peaked in 1978, when he earned All-American honors as a junior. He missed most of his senior season due to injury, but he was a force nonetheless.

His 22 career sacks are fifth on Penn State's all-time list.

Millen went on to become a solid linebacker in the NFL, but was a royal flop as the general manager of the Detroit Lions from 2001 to 2008.

Michael Haynes

Michael Haynes was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.

He led the Big Ten with 15 sacks that season and was an absolute terror off of the edge.

Haynes ranks third on Penn State's all-time sack list and sixth in tackles for a loss. He was a consistent thorn in the side of opposing offenses.

Penn State was lucky to have Haynes. He changed games before the Nittany Lions even took the field because of the attention he commanded.

Dave Robinson

Time to hop in your way-back machine, people. Dave Robinson played football for the Nittany Lions in 1962 under Rip Engle.

Robinson enjoyed an excellent career for the Nittany Lions.

In 1962, he was an All-American, College Football's Player of the Year and College Football's Defensive Lineman of the Year.

He played offense as well, and his versatility ranks with anyone else in Penn State history.

Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

Dan Connor

Dan Connor bounced in and out of Joe Paterno's doghouse during his time at Penn State, but that does not take away from his talent.

Connor was a First Team All-American in 2006 and 2007. He won the Bednarik Award in 2007 and passed Paul Posluszny as Penn State's all-time leading tackler that same season.

He was athletically gifted, instinctive and ferocious in the open field.

Connor may have made waves off the field early in his career, but he is still one of the best to ever lace them up for Penn State.

Mark Robinson

Penn State does not have a rich history in the defensive backfield, but Mark Robinson is one of their best.

Robinson earned All-American honors in 1982. He had 70 tackles and four interceptions from his safety spot that season.

Robinson's career was highlighted by a lights-out performance against Herschel Walker's Georgia Bulldogs in the 1982 National Championship game. He had nine tackles and two interceptions.

He was known for laying the lumber on opposing ballcarriers and reading quarterbacks for big plays. Robinson stands out among Penn State's defensive backs.

Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark propelled himself to the fourth-overall selection in the 1980 NFL draft because of an excellent career as a Nittany Lion.

Clark was a beast from his defensive end spot. He won the Lombardi Award in 1978 and was the first junior to earn the honor.

He was named to the All-American team in 1979 because of his standout abilities against opposing offenses. He could stuff the run or terrorize opposing players in the backfield.

Most notably, he brought 43 ballcarriers down behind the line of scrimmage in his career.

On a sidenote, Clark never reported to the Green Bay Packers after being taken fourth overall. Instead, he played in the CFL before coming back to the NFL.

Greg Buttle

Greg Buttle was the top Penn State tackler until Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor came around. His 343 career tackles are currently third on the Penn State all-time list.

Buttle was a consensus All-American in 1975. He had 165 tackles that season, including a 24-tackle performance against West Virginia.

He was also solid in coverage. Buttle grabbed 15 interceptions during his career.

Buttle was a sideline-to-sideline presence for the Nittany Lion defense. He was a great tackler and brought the tenacity necessary to chase anyone down.

Jack Ham

Jack Ham is better known for his stellar career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was a standout player at Penn State prior to his professional days.

Ham was an All-American in 1970 and was also co-captain of the Nittany Lion squad that season.

He left Penn State with 251 tackles, 143 unassisted tackles and three blocked punts.

He was not a pass-rush specialist, but he was an extremely fundamental tackler. He understood football as well as anyone and used his head to make many plays.

Shane Conlan

Shane Conlan racked up 274 tackles as a Nittany Lion.

He is one of the best outside linebackers Penn State has ever had, and his 186 career solo tackles are a major tribute to that fact.

Conlan was named to the All-American team in 1985 and 1986. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1986.

His most memorable moment comes from Penn State's most memorable game. Conlan intercepted two Vinny Testaverde passes and took the second back nearly 40 yards to set up a D.J. Dozier touchdown.

Conlan's instincts and open-field ability set him apart during his time as a Nittany Lion.

Paul Posluszny

Paul Posluszny, or "Poz", as Nittany Lion fans affectionately refer to him as, is second on Penn State's all-time tackles list with 372.

Poz's illustrious career began with his Sporting News Big Ten All-Freshman selection in 2003, and did not stop there.

He was a two-time All-Big Ten player and a two-time consensus All-American. He was also a Butkus Award winner and a two-time Bednarik Award winner.

Posluszny's career ended with a devastating knee injury, but he was an exemplary player on the field. He was also a standout student, earning Academic All-American honors twice.

Courtney Brown

Courtney Brown holds the record for most career sacks as a Nittany Lion, with 33. He also had 70 tackles for a loss.

Brown's 1999 season alone would land him on this list. He was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and a consensus first team All-American.

Brown was a frightening combination of speed and size. His tenacity and instincts made him nearly impossible to block throughout his Penn State career.

LaVar Arrington

LaVar Arrington was the centerpiece of Penn State's defense from 1997-1999 because of his freakish athleticism.

Arrington won the Bednarik, Butkus and Lombardi Awards in 1999 and earned First Team All-American honors. He also finished ninth on the Heisman ballot that same year.

The 1999 season was an improvement over his stellar 1998 season. He was an All Big-Ten selection and a First Team All-American.

Arrington was known for his speed and ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. You would be hard-pressed to find a more pure athlete on the defensive side of the ball.

Dennis Onkontz

Dennis Onkontz was one of Penn State's first standout defensive players and a big reason for the Nittany Lions' reputation as "Linebacker U."

Onkontz earned back-to-back All-American selections in 1968 and 1969.

He racked up 287 career tackles and intercepted 11 passes, three of which he took for six points the other way.

Onkontz also returned punts. He averaged just over 13 yards per return, landing him in eighth on Penn State's all-time list.