University Park, Pa. — Fans have the opportunity to vote for five former Penn State standouts to determine the NFL's 75 Most Valuable Draft Picks of all-time.
Quarterback Kerry Collins, linebacker Jack Ham, running backs Franco Harris and Lenny Moore and guard Mike Munchak are the Nittany Lions chosen for consideration by NFL.com editors. Collins is an active NFL player, while Ham, Harris, Moore and Munchak are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fans can vote for their choices at http://draftmvps.nfl.com/ through April 18. The contest is being held in celebration of the 75th NFL Draft, which kicks off in primetime for the first time on Thursday, April 22.
Following the conclusion of the fan vote, picks 11 - 75 will be announced from April 19-22 on NFLcom and NFL Network. The top 10 greatest Draft picks then will be revealed during the 2010 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Second and Third Rounds of the Draft will be on Friday, April 23, followed by Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 24.
The 10 Most Valuable Draft Picks will be announced during Round 1, when many of the Top 10 will be in attendance at Radio City Music Hall, the home of the 2010 NFL Draft. The order of the Top 10 will be revealed after the conclusion of the Second Round of the Draft on Friday night. Many of these players will be on hand for the announcement.
Collins is a 16-year NFL veteran, having spent the last four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. A first team All-American at Penn State in 1994, Collins was the No. 5 overall selection by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft. In his second season, he led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game. During the 2000 season, Collins led the New York Giants to Super Bowl XXXV. Winner of the 1994 Davey O'Brien Award, he also has played with the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders.
Ham was instrumental in Penn State earning a 29-3 record from 1968-70, earning first team All-America accolades his senior season. A second round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1971, Ham developed into one of the most outstanding linebackers in NFL history. He was a starter on the Steelers' first four Super Bowl championship teams and was an All-Pro choice nine consecutive seasons. An analyst on Penn State Sports Network broadcasts with Steve Jones since the 2000 football season, Ham played 12 years with the Steelers. The NFL "Defensive Player-of-the-Year" in 1975, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and to the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1990.
Harris played a significant role in the Nittany Lions' 29-4 mark from 1969-71, teaming with Lydell Mitchell to form one of the nation's top running back tandems. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 12 overall pick of the 1972 NFL Draft, Harris teamed with Ham to bring four Super Bowl titles to Pittsburgh. The Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX, he was selected to nine Pro Bowls during his tremendous 13-year NFL career. Harris topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark in eight seasons and joined Ham on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1970's. Harris spent 12 seasons with the Steelers and finished his career with Seattle in 1984. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
A standout runner and kick returner for the Nittany Lions from 1953-55, Moore was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft, launching his Hall of Fame career. Moore played in seven Pro Bowls during his 12 seasons with the Colts and set an NFL record by scoring at least one touchdown in 18 consecutive games. He was instrumental in the Colts winning the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championships. Moore missed most of the 1963 season, but returned to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 1964. He was selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1950's and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
Munchak was a Penn State standout from 1978-81 and was the No. 8 overall selection, by the Houston Oilers, in the 1982 NFL Draft. He was selected All-Pro seven times during his 12-year career with the Oilers, helping the team to seven consecutive playoff appearances (1987-93). Munchak earned nine Pro Bowl invitations and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He has served as the offensive line coach of the Tennessee Titans since 1997.
NFL.com editors narrowed down the first 74 Drafts to a list of the top 320 players, consisting of 10 players from each team. Fans begin the process of determining the Most Valuable Draft Pick by choosing between pairs of players randomly generated from the list of 320 greats. After selecting winners of 30 random matchups, fans will begin to build their own Top 10 list. Fans may continue to vote in order to make changes to their personal Top 10 list as well as the All-Time Top 10 announced at the Draft. Users then may share their lists and their head-to-head winners on Facebook.