As a Penn State fan, and alum, I've been following the exploits of fellow Penn Stater Larry Johnson, the running back formerly with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was a great college player and one of the few Penn State running backs to make it big in the pros. I always thought, if not for injuries, KiJana Carter and Blair Thomas had the most pro potential of any of the great Nittany Lion running backs over the years. But it turned out that Johnson was the one who made it big.
So how does he respond to his success?
By blowing it.
First, he is accused of beating up women. A real man. And then, he is run out of Kansas City after making gay slurs against a coach.
The guy brings shame upon Penn State. If the university ever bestowed a degree upon this nimrod, I would hope it would consider taking it back.
Over the decades, Penn State has built a good reputation for scholarship cohabitating with athletics. The school has a great record for its athletes earning degrees and being successful in areas outside of athletics. For instance, look at a lot of players on the 1986 national championship team. A lot of those guys -- quarterback John Shaffer and linebacker Trey Bauer come to mind -- were very successful even though their lives after Penn State did not include football.
Now, Johnson is available to other NFL teams. Let's hope he can rehabilitate himself and grow up. Let's hope he can make Penn State proud.
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