Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Blake Gillikin (2016-19), P, New Orleans Saints: Gillikin had another strong season for the Saints. He handled all 77 punts for the team this year, averaging 46.4 yards. Kevin Givens (2016-18), DT, San Francisco 49ers: Givens played in 10 games for the 49ers during the regular season. He went down with a knee injury in Week 14 but returned for the playoffs and totaled 3 tackles in wins over Seattle and Dallas. Chris Godwin (2014-16), WR, Tampa Bay Bucca - neers: Godwin tied for the NFL lead in receptions from the slot and on screens this past season. With an ane- mic running game, the Buccaneers relied on Godwin to carry the offense in short-yardage situations. He finished with 114 catches for 1,108 yards. Robbie Gould (2001-04), K, San Francisco 49ers: Gould made 87.5 percent of his field goal attempts this year, including a 3-of-3 performance from beyond 50 yards. Not bad for the league's oldest kicker. Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19), DE, Carolina Panthers: Gross-Matos finished with a career-high 28 total pres - sures, including 10 combined quarterback hits and sacks. The former Penn Stater started every game for the Panthers this past season, the first time in his three- year career he's done that. Grant Haley (2014-17), CB, Los Angeles Rams: Inju - ries derailed Haley's season with the defending Super Bowl champs. He won the team's slot cornerback role coming out of training camp but only saw action in three games before a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. KJ Hamler (2017-19), WR, Denver Broncos: Another year, another frustrating, injury-riddled fall for Hamler, whose season ended in Week 8. Before being knocked out of action, he was working his way into a role as a deep-threat specialist for new quarterback Russell Wilson. Hamler finished his third pro season averaging 23.6 yards per catch. Jesse James (2012-14), TE, Cleveland Browns: James was placed on the Browns' injured reserve list after Week 2 with a biceps problem and didn't see action the rest of the year. He finished his eighth NFL season without a reception. Austin Johnson (2012-15), DT, Los Angeles Chargers: Johnson saw his season end when his left knee was fractured in the Chargers' 20-17 win over Atlanta on Nov. 6. Before his injury, he had made 22 tackles, in - cluding a sack and 3 tackles for loss. DaQuan Jones (2010-13), DL, Buffalo Bills: A 16-game starter for the Bills, Jones totaled 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. A calf injury kept him out of Buffalo's loss to Cincinnati in the Divisional Round. Jesse Luketa (2018-21), LB, Arizona Cardinals: Luketa saw action in five games during his rookie season and finished with 3 tackles, including 2 solo stops in a 20-19 loss to Atlanta in Week 17. Connor McGovern (2016-18), OL, Dallas Cowboys: In his fourth pro season, McGovern started at left guard for a Cowboys offense that averaged 27.5 points per game to rank fourth in the league. Trace McSorley (2014-18), QB, Arizona Cardinals: With Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy hurt, McSorley made his first start since the 2019 Outback Bowl when Arizona faced Tampa Bay in Week 16. The Cardinals' third-team quarterback, McSorley completed 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards with an interception in a 19- 16 overtime loss. For the season, he appeared in five games and hit 54.2 percent of his attempts (45 of 83) with no touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Carl Nassib (2011-15), DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nassib had 2 tackles in Tampa Bay's 31-14 loss to Dallas in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. He finished the season with 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Amani Oruwariye (2014-18), CB, Detroit Lions: Oru - wariye finished with 44 tackles and a fumble recovery. It was the first of his four pro seasons in which he didn't record at least 1 interception. Oruwariye had 6 picks in 2021. Odafe Oweh (2018-20), DE, Baltimore Ravens: Oweh had a sack in Baltimore's 24-17 loss to Cincinnati in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. He finished his second NFL season with 43 tackles and 3 sacks. Micah Parsons (2018-19), LB, Dallas Cowboys: A dis - ruptive force throughout his second year in the league, Parsons finished the regular season ranked seventh in the league with 13.5 sacks and 17th with 13 tackles for loss. He also had 3 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. Parsons had been one of the favorites for NFL Defensive Player of the Year recognition, but San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa is now widely ex - pected to claim that honor. John Reid (2015-19), CB, Atlanta Falcons: Reid ended up being signed and waived by Seattle, Atlanta and Tennessee in 2022. His only game action came with the Titans, where he netted 5 tackles in 35 defensive snaps in Weeks 15 and 17. He was then cut by the AFC South team and signed again by the Falcons. Allen Robinson II (2011-2013), WR, Los Angeles Rams: Robinson made 33 catches for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2022 before a foot injury ended what was already considered a disappointing season. Miles Sanders (2016-18), RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Sanders rushed 17 times for 90 yards in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. During the regular season, he amassed 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. His rushing total ranked fifth in the league. Nick Scott (2014-18), S, Los Angeles Rams: Scott started 16 of 17 games for the Rams but did not take any snaps in the team's season finale against Cincin - nati. He finished the year with 86 tackles and also had 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Brandon Smith (2019-21), LB, Carolina Panthers: Smith did not play during the final four weeks of the regular season after seeing most of his action on special teams previously. He finished his rookie season with 8 tackles. Donovan Smith (2011-14), OT, Tampa Bay Bucca - neers: Smith did not give up a sack during the final five weeks of Tampa Bay's season, which ended with a loss to Dallas in the Wild Card Round. However, he did give up 14 hurries, which was more than half of his season total of 22, over that stretch, while playing every snap as the Bucs' starting left tackle. Jordan Stout (2022), P, Baltimore Ravens: As a rookie, Stout averaged 45.9 yards per punt. Twenty-six of his 57 boots landed inside the opponent's 20-yard- line. Derrick Tangelo (2022), DT, Atlanta Falcons: Tangelo was never on the active roster during the 2022 season and remains a part of Atlanta's practice squad. Shaka Toney (2016-20), DE, Washington Command - ers: After seeing some defensive snaps early in the sea- son, Toney's role was reduced entirely to special teams over the second half of the campaign. He finished the year with 8 tackles but did see action on a majority of the Commanders' special teams snaps. Rasheed Walker (2018-21), OT, Green Bay Packers: Walker was active for only one game this season. He played four snaps on special teams in the Packers' 26- 20 victory over Miami in Week 16. ■ Thomas Frank Carr and Greg Pickel contributed to this report. After seeing his numbers decline in Miami's revamped offensive system this past season, tight end Mike Gesicki is expected to hit the free agent market and find a new NFL home in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI DOLPHINS