Penn State has high expectations for the 2023 college football season following an 11-win campaign that ended with a Rose Bowl win. The Nittany Lions are projected inside the top 10 of national preseason rankings, with Big Ten championship aspirations and a debut College Football Playoff appearance in focus.
PSU opens its 2023 game schedule Sept. 2 versus West Virginia in Beaver Stadium, set for a 7:30 p.m. ET broadcast on NBC. In the meantime, our Countdown to Kickoff series will feature players whose uniform numbers correspond with that number of days remaining until that matchup.Now at67days,and with no scholarship Nittany Lion wearing No. 67, we throw it back to former All-Big Ten linemanKareem McKenzie.
PATH TO PENN STATE
Kareem McKenziesigned with Penn State out of Willingboro (N.J.) High School in 1997. Although he was a relative latecomer to football, it was apparent that big-time college programs would come calling for an offensivetackle who would grow to become a 6-foot-6, 330-pound Super Bowl champion.
"Kareem was one of the nicest young men I ever coached," former Willingboro coach Tyrone Belfordtold the Burlington County Timesin 2016. "When he played as a sophom*ore one of the things we did was ask every college coach that came in to look at players to say a few words to Kareem. We knew because he was so good academically he had a chance to be a very good football player. We wanted to show him what could be possible for him."
McKenzie ultimately became an All-American high school standout and joined a lauded 1997 Nittany Lions recruiting class led by LaVar Arrington. Regarded as one of the country's elite offensive line prospects, his offer sheet featured Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
HAPPY VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS
McKenzie developed into a three-year starter at Penn State, earning All-Big Ten recognition each season. He became only the fifth Nittany Lions to claim all-conference honors on three occasions.
While speaking to the York Daily Record in 2016, McKenzie reflected onhis maturation at Penn State, and the memories that still stand out.
"Joe [Paterno] would go to class and see if you were there, himself," McKenzie said. "If you wanted to challenge him academically, he'd show you it's not your way but the Penn State way."
BEYOND HAPPY VALLEY
McKenzie proved to be a mainstay inprofessional football after his days in a Nittany Lions uniform. The New York Jets selected him with a third-roundpickin the 2001 NFL Draft, and it didn't take long for McKenzie to become entrenched as a starting tackle for one of the NFL's most productive rushing offenses (running back Curtis Martin led the league in rushing in 2004).
Following his fourth NFL season, McKenzie had started each game of the last three campaigns and opted to test free agency. That decision paid off with a massive contract and didn't require relocation, as the New York Giants signed him to a lucrativeseven-yeardeal.
That's exactly how much longer McKenzie would remain in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls with the Giants along the way. His final game was New York's second Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.
In total, McKenzie played in 161 NFL games, starting 153 of them over the span off 11 seasons. He turned 45 years old last month.
According toa 2023profile from Kean University(Union, N.J.),McKenzie received hisPh.D. in counseling and supervision fromthat school in May.
"From a mental standpoint, I'd say counseling is more difficult," he said. "Football, it's just a matter of doing the work and making sure you're prepared on Sunday. With counseling, you can't actually prepare for who walks through that door. Football is pretty simple, either you win or lose. As a counselor, every day you're dealing with someone who's in crisis."
* Walk-on offensive lineman Henry Boehme will wear No. 67 for Penn State in 2024.
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Previous Numbers
68 - Anthony Donkoh
69 -Floyd Wedderburn70 - Garrett Sexton
71 - Vega Ioane
72 - Nolan Rucci
73 - Caleb Brewer74 - J'ven Williams
75 - Eric Shrive
76 - Steve Smear
77 - Sal Wormley
78 - Mike Munchak79 - Addison Penn
80 - Mehki Flowers
81 - Kyle Brady
82 - Kenny Jackson83 - Joe Jurevicius84 - Peter Gonzalez85 - Luke Reynolds86 - Brenton Stange
87 - Andrew Rappleyea88 -Jerry Cross89 -Dave Robinson90 -Liam Andrews91 -Dvon Ellies and Chase Meyer92 -Smith Vilbert93 -Sander Sahaydak94 -Ryan Barker and De'Andre Cook95 -Jordan Mayer and Riley Thompson96 -Immanuel Iyke97 -T.A. Cunningham98 -Jordan Stout99 -Coziah Izzard100-Meet the Penn State transfer class
