By KIT STIER
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

Will Larry Johnson be recalled as a great NFL running back and one day stir fond memories of his heroics on Sundays, or will he be recalled as just another highly touted Penn State runner who quickly disappeared into obscurity?

Johnson is considered the best prospect at his position in this year's draft and is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick.

But the minute Penn State running backs are mentioned in connection with the draft, the names of recent failures come to mind.

D.J. Dozier (1987), Blair Thomas (1990), Ki-Jana Carter (1995) and Curtis Enis (1998) were all first-round draft choices who attended Penn State. They combined to rush for 5,479 yards on 1,451 carries with 37 touchdowns in 190 games.

"They were hurt," Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said. "They all got hurt. I don't know why these things happen."

Curt Warner, with the Seahawks, was the last first-round running back from Penn State to be successful. He played in 100 games, ran for 6,844 yards on 1,698 carries and scored 56 rushing touchdowns.

"Big-marquee players, like I always say, 50 percent of them are busts," Jets coach Herman Edwards said. "That's the history of the league. Fifty percent of them will be a bust this year, too.

"Don't go by what you hear the guy did in college until he comes on this campus in the National Football League and does it."

Thomas, for instance, spent only four years with the Jets. His best season was his second, when he gained 728 yards and scored three of his seven career rushing touchdowns. He spent 1994 with Dallas and New England, gaining 137 yards in six games. He was out of the NFL after playing in seven games with Carolina in 1995.

When asked if he has any regrets about his NFL career, Thomas said: "No, I don't. It's part of the game. The life expectancy of a running back in the NFL is not that long anyway."

Thomas, now a running-backs assistant coach at Temple, recently attended a charity dinner honoring Johnson. The Second Mile helps give children a second chance, and Thomas tried to give Johnson words of wisdom in keeping with the goal of the charity.

"I kind of mentioned that when he got to Penn State, he didn't get the carries he wanted and he was a little frustrated and a little upset," Thomas said. "This year was like a second chance for him and he should make the best of that second chance. The NFL is a job and a career, and you have to work hard to make the best of it."

Johnson, according to his college running-backs coach, is ready to make the move to the NFL.

"It's hard to imagine anyone being better prepared at having a chance to succeed than Larry," said Fran Ganter, who has coached them all, from Warner to Johnson, in his 28 years at Penn State.

Johnson, whose father, also named Larry, played one season in the NFL with Washington and is now a coach at Penn State, was late to bloom in college because until his final season, he was part of a three-back system. He gained 866 yards in his first three seasons in college then in his last season became the first Nittany Lion to lead the nation in rushing when he exploded for more than 2,000 yards.

"We didn't know Larry was this good, I swear," Ganter said. "He never had his chance; he was never the guy. We had this diamond sitting there waiting for his chance."

Ganter said he regrets that Thomas, Carter, Enis and Dozier had abbreviated NFL careers, but he does not feel pain for them.

"They are all smart," Ganter said. "They are all still wealthy from the day they signed. We really try to do a good job preparing them for the worst that can happen. Every guy we are talking about has his degree from Penn State."

Thomas is a coach. Enis, taken by Chicago as the fifth overall pick, is a businessman in southern Ohio but wobbles on painful knees. Dozier, picked by Minnesota at No. 14, is about to announce a new business venture in the State College area. Carter, taken by the Bengals as the top overall pick, "made so much money he doesn't have to work," according to Ganter.

Ganter said Thomas' lack of success was the one surprise.

"I don't know what happened to him," Ganter said. "I wasn't there. That was a total surprise to me because he was one of the best all-around, do-it-all guys we had. I really felt this was a can't-miss Barry Sanders. Can't touch him, can't catch him."

Thomas had been a breakaway runner in college, but turned to dancing in the pros. He also began to drop passes and fumble.

Johnson's pro career sets sail on Saturday. For now, like every other player who will be taken in this draft, he's a guy with potential and a question mark.

Penn State backs who flopped, and one who didn't

CURT WARNER

1983, Seattle, No. 3 overall

Warner was the last bright light to come running out of Happy Valley. He played seven seasons for the Seahawks, one for the Rams, and warranted his first-round selection. He topped 1,000 yards rushing four times, scoring 13 touchdowns in two seasons and 10 in another. Those numbers include an injury-shortened 1984 season in which he was able to play in just one game. He gained 6,844 yards on 1,698 carries for a 4.0 average and caught 193 passes for 1,467 yards. A three-time Pro Bowler, Warner finished in the top 10 in rushing yards five times and in rushing touchdowns four times.

D.J. DOZIER

1987, Minnesota, No. 14 overall

Dozier played four seasons with the Vikings and one with Detroit and was out of football after the 1991 season. His best year was his rookie season when he rushed for a career-high 257 yards, scored five of his seven career rushing touchdowns and made his only two touchdown receptions. He never finished close to the top 10 in any major offensive category.

BLAIR THOMAS

1990, Jets, No. 2 overall

Thomas carried the ball 533 times in six seasons, including four with the Jets, scoring just seven career touchdowns on the ground. When his injury-riddled career had ended, he had 2,236 yards rushing. Fifty of his 71 receptions were in his first two seasons.

KI-JANA CARTER

1995, Cincinnati, No. 1 overall

Carter played five injury-filled seasons, including four with the Bengals and his last with Washington in 2001. He gained 728 of his 1,055 yards and scored 15 of his 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in his career. He caught 65 passes in his brief career, including 43 in his first two seasons; just one was a scoring pass.

CURTIS ENIS

1998, Chicago, No. 5 overall

Enis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee his rookie season and after three seasons, all with the Bears, was out of the game. He gained just 1,497 yards on 456 attempts in his career, and three of his four rushing touchdowns were scored in his second season. He did catch 45 passes for 340 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 1999.

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Reach Kit Stier at kstier@thejournalnews.com

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