John Kuhn ’04 will return to Shippensburg University on May 11 as the undergraduate commencement ceremony speaker. The two-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement in a ceremony with the Green Bay Packers in March 2019 where he paid tribute to his time as a Shippensburg University football player.
John Kuhn was a four-year fullback for Rocky Rees’ hard-hitting Shippensburg University football team from 2001-04, posting an impressive 32-13 record. Speaking of his Shippensburg experience at his retirement, Kuhn noted “Shippensburg instilled values in me that I carried throughout my entire career. We used to always say, ‘the smaller the school, the bigger the heart.’”
Kuhn graduated with 27 school records and four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) records, including 4,685 rushing yards, 53 rushing touchdowns, 5,300 all-purpose yards and 26 games with at least 100 rushing yards. Additionally, Kuhn’s six rushing touchdowns in a 2002 victory over California University of Pennsylvania remains a conference single-game record.
He was a two-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American as voted by the nation’s head coaches and a three-time All-PSAC player – earning PSAC Western Division Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2003 as a junior. Kuhn was also named a Northeast Region finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy as a senior.
A standout in the classroom, Kuhn was a two-time ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honoree, receiving the honors following his junior and senior seasons. Additional academic honors included a 2013 and 2014 PSAC Fall Top Ten Award, making him the first Shippensburg male student-athlete to have received the award twice, and three consecutive Academic All-District classifications.
In the summer of 2003, Kuhn, a chemistry major, worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as a lab technician. In the summer of 2004, he worked for Johnson & Johnson.
After graduation, Kuhn was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2005, the start of what became a 13-year career in the National Football League (NFL). Kuhn spent parts of two seasons with Pittsburgh, earning a Super Bowl Ring in 2006, before being claimed by the Green Bay Packers.
Kuhn spent nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers, including a Super Bowl victory in 2011. He earned All-Pro honors in 2012 and was selected to three Pro Bowls while playing for Green Bay. He played his final two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
His 13-year NFL career included more than 650 rushing yards, 19 regular-season touchdowns and six postseason touchdowns – all the while blocking for the likes of quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
John is married to wife Lindsey ‘06 (Incorvati), who was a member of the SU track and field and soccer teams.
