Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1464375
M A Y 2 0 2 2 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M When and if Godwin does make it back to the field in 2022, he won't have to worry about who's throwing him the football. Brady had originally announced his intention to retire following the conclu- sion of the 2021 season. But, on March 13, he reversed his decision. At 44 years old, arguably the best quarterback in the history of the game is coming back for another season. That can only be good news for the Tampa Bay wideouts, and Godwin made little attempt to hide his enthusiasm. "We're back, man, and we're not lay- ing down for anybody," Godwin said. "We're coming back to try to make it to the top of the mountain, and you need great players and great people to do that, and obviously Tom coming back was a huge piece." Bills Sign Ryan Bates To Four-Year Pact Offensive lineman Ryan Bates became the latest former Penn State player to sign a long-term deal in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills officially announced a four- year contract for Bates on April 4. Bates, a restricted free agent this off- season, had received interest from sev- eral teams. The Chicago Bears report- edly offered him $17 million over four seasons, with $8.8 million of that being fully guaranteed. Holding the right to match the offer under the restricted free agency system, the Bills decided to do exactly that. "We were tight on the cap, but we de- cided to bring Ryan back," Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. "It's really important for us to be strong up front. "Ryan is a versatile player. He can actually play all five spots. But most importantly, he's been a center-guard when he's filled in and we thought when he had his opportunity this year he did a heck of a job starting the last three regular-season and then the two post- season games. It didn't seem too big for him." Bates came out of relative obscurity to play a crucial role for the Bills down the stretch last season, playing both guard positions for the eventual AFC East champs. He earned just his second career start in Week 15 against New England, playing all 79 of Buffalo's offensive snaps in a 33-21 victory. He got the start against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets, too, as the Bills closed out the regular season with two more wins. Bates settled in at left guard, playing each and every snap for the Bills in the playoffs. In the five games Bates started for Buffalo to close out the year, the Bills' offense averaged 34.4 points. Bates started 34 games at Penn State from 2016-18, after which he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He ini- tially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but was later traded to Buffalo for line- backer Eli Harold. ■ Tanisha Wright Prepares For WNBA Head Coaching Debut When the WNBA opens its season in early May, a former Penn State star will be coach- ing the Atlanta Dream. Tanisha Wright, a three-time All-American while with the Lady Lions from 2002-05, was hired in October to turn around the Dream following three consecutive losing seasons. Wright is only three years removed from her own playing days, having retired in 2019 after a 14-year WNBA career spent mostly in Seattle. In an interview with Dream broad- caster Tabitha Turner following her hiring last fall, she admitted there are times when she misses being out on the court. "I'm competitive," Wright said. "That's the one thing that people definitely know about me. I was a competitive player, so I do miss it at times. But I think moving into a coaching role still gives you that competitive nature — competing and strategizing, different things like that. Every once in a while, I can still get out there and run a couple of reps [in practice]. Not more than that, though." At Penn State, Wright was known for her tenacity on both ends of the floor. The West Mifflin, Pa., native finished with 1,995 ca- reer points and 267 career steals, ranking seventh in school history in both catego- ries. She was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and she was known for her defensive prowess at the professional level, too, both as a player and later as an assistant coach. Wright first got into coaching at UNC Charlotte, joining the 49ers' staff while still an active WNBA player. After playing one last pro season in 2019 with the New York Liberty, she joined the Las Vegas Aces' staff in 2020. Wright's first game as a head coach will be May 7 when the Dream opens its season on the road against the Dallas Wings. While she'll be in a new position with new responsibilities, she doesn't see it as a clean break from her past, but rather another step in a direction she had been traveling for years. "Toward the end of my career, I started to transition into this sector, into this role in terms of being more of a mentor on the court for younger players and just basically helping," Wright said. "I think with coaching, that's really what it is — pointing things out and being able to see different things and really assist the players and allow the game to be easy for them. Toward the end of my career, I kind of took on that role as more of a mentor-player. That has helped, I think, lead me into this role." — Matt Herb Wright played 14 seasons in the WNBA before moving into coaching at the college and pro levels. She was hired by the Atlanta Dream in October. PHOTO COURTESY ATLANTA DREAM