National Football Foundation

Position: Quarterback
Years: 1991-1994
Place of Birth: Lebanon, PA
Date of Birth: Dec 30, 1972
Jersey Number: 12
Height: 6-5"
Weight: 235
High School: Wilson HS (West Lawn, PA)

One of the greatest quarterbacks in Penn State history, Kerry Collins guided one of the most prolific offenses college football has ever seen. His remarkable career culminated with consensus First Team All-America honors in 1994, and he now becomes the 18th Nittany Lion player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
The recipient of the 1994 Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, Collins also finished fourth in the Heisman voting following his stellar senior campaign. That season, he led Penn State to a perfect 12-0 record, its first-ever Big Ten title and the No. 2 final ranking. The 1994 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Silver Football Award recipient under College Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno, Collins broke nine single-season school records that year and guided the Nittany Lions to a win over Oregon in the 1995 Rose Bowl. Collins led the nation in passing efficiency in 1994 with a 172.9 rating, the fourth-highest all-time in a single season, while quarterbacking a prolific offense that led the nation in scoring and total offense. The 1994 First Team All-Big Ten selection led the conference in passing, passing efficiency and total offense while the Nittany Lions offensive unit broke seven conference records.
 
Overall, Collins quarterbacked Penn State to a 40-9 record and four straight bowl games during his time in Happy Valley, including an upset over No. 6 Tennessee in the 1994 Citrus Bowl that vaulted the Nittany Lions to a top 10 finish following the 1993 season. The 1994 team MVP and captain still holds the single-season school records for completion percentage (66.7) and pass efficiency (172.9). The 1994 Chevrolet Offensive Player of the Year and UPI Back of the Year, Collins finished his career with 5,304 passing yards and 39 touchdowns, and both marks remain in the top 10 in school annals.  
 
Collins was the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, becoming the team’s first-ever draft pick. The two-time Pro Bowl selection played 17 years in the NFL with the Panthers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. In 2000, Collins led the Giants to the NFC championship and a berth in Super Bowl XXXV. The Lebanon, Pa., native ranks in the top 20 in NFL history in both career passing yards and completions.
 
Collins has continuously given back to the community, donating more than $2 million to charities through the Kerry Collins Foundation. Ever loyal to his alma mater, Collins donated $250,000 to permanently endow Penn State’s quarterback position. Since his retirement from the NFL, Collins has owned a ranch in North Carolina and has dabbled in songwriting.