Conlan named to Sporting News 1980s team
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Shane Conlan played his final game for Penn State University in 1987, had a nine-year NFL career and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2014.
And, yet, he's still making news for his gridiron greatness years later.
The Frewsburg native and former Nittany Lions' standout learned recently that he was one of three linebackers named to The Sporting News College Football 1980s All-America team.
The other two?
Derrick Thomas of Alabama and Brian Bosworth of Oklahoma.
"(Former Penn State assistant coach) Tom Bradley texted (the list) to me," Conlan said via text Tuesday afternoon. "I had no idea."
Sporting News voters, who are in the process of naming the All-Time All-Americans in college football from the last seven decades, described the 1980s linebackers as the "best position group."
They wrote: "Bosworth and Thomas -- who had 27 sacks in 1988 at Alabama -- were the locks in our debate. It became a tougher decision among three linebackers. Conlan was a unanimous All-American and two-time national champion at Penn State. Ohio State's Chris Spielman won the Lombardi Award in 1987, and North Carolina's Lawrence Taylor had 16 sacks in 1980 before going on to be arguably the best defensive player of all-time in NFL history. This is a college team -- and we stuck with Conlan -- who best represents 'Linebacker U.'"
Ironically, the 1992 Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame inductee may have never achieved such lofty status were it not for the perseverance of his high school coach, Tom Sharp, who sent film to Bradley. Bradley finally agreed to visit Frewsburg to watch Conlan play a basketball game.
Not long after Bradley's visit, Conlan was offered a scholarship by Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno.
"(Sharp) chased those guys around and made them come watch me," Conlan told The Post-Journal in 2014. "He just wouldn't give up when a lot of people said, 'No thanks.'"
In case you're wondering, below is the The Sporting News College Football 1980s All-America team in its entirety:
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Doug Flutie (Boston College); Running Back, Herschel Walker (Georgia); Running back: Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State); Wide Receiver: Tim Brown (Notre Dame); Wide Receiver: Anthony Carter (Michigan); Tight End: Keith Jackson (Oklahoma); Tackle: Bill Fralic (Pittsburgh); Guard: Dean Steinkuhler (Nebraska); Center: Dave Rimington (Nebraska); Guard: Sean Farrell (Penn State); Tackle: Tony Mandarich (Michigan State); All-Purpose: Bo Jackson (Auburn); Kicker: Kevin Butler (Georgia).
DEFENSE
Defensive Line: Hugh Green (Pittsburgh); Defensive Line: Reggie White (Tennessee); Defensive Line: Tony Casillas (Oklahoma); Defensive Line: Tracy Rocker (Auburn); Linebacker: Derrick Thomas (Alabama); Linebacker: Brian Bosworth (Oklahoma); Linebacker: Shane Conlan (Penn State); Cornerback: Deion Sanders (Florida State); Safety: Ronnie Lott (USC); Safety: Bennie Blades (Miami); Punter: Tom Tupa (Ohio State).