Penn State Sports Magazine
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J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told ESPN. "He's got physicality in his game. ... He is an example of our general free agent interests. "It goes all the way back to when he was at Penn State. [Former general manager] Kevin Colbert and I spent a great deal of time with him and his fam- ily through his draft process. He was a diaper dandy — he was a 20-year-old when he came into the draft. We held him in high regard. We liked his football character, we liked his talents, we liked his upside, we followed him throughout his NFL journey, and the interest still remains." Robinson will turn 30 in August. It re- mains to be seen how soon he will be able to start working out with his new team. For now, he is continuing to work his way back from the foot surgery that brought an end to his 2022 season. Steelers general manager Omar Khan told Pro Football Talk that the team was undeterred by Robinson's medical his- tory. "The doctors felt really good about him," Khan said. "We're going to be really smart. … We're going to be conserva- tive with the approach. We understand the importance of spring ball, but there are really no games being played until August." Khan said that Robinson's acquisi- tion was part of a larger plan that he and Tomlin formulated to improve the Steel- ers' roster after the team missed out on the playoffs in 2023. "Early on, when he and I got together after the season and mapped out a plan of what we wanted 2023 to look like, one of the things we were keen on was acquir- ing a veteran receiver," Khan said. "We're excited that we were able to get it all done with Allen. Once the medical was con- firmed to be OK, it was easy for us." Robinson is one of four Penn State football alums on the Steelers' roster. He is joined by tight end Pat Freiermuth, re- ceiver Dan Chisena, and the franchise's 2023 second-round pick, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. McSORLEY FINDS A NEW NFL HOME Trace McSorley's NFL journey con- tinues at a new destination. On April 13, the former Penn State quarterback was signed by New England, where he will play for offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. O'Brien was indirectly responsible for McSorley's PSU career, in which he set school records for passing yards and total offense. After two seasons with the Nit- tany Lions, O'Brien left to become head coach of the NFL's Houston Texans. His exit paved the way for James Franklin to take over the Lions' program in January 2014 and bring McSorley with him as a member of his first recruiting class. Pre- viously, McSorley had been committed to play for Franklin at Vanderbilt. Drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round in 2019, McSorley spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He has played in nine games in his four pro seasons, with one start. McSorley has completed 48 of 93 passes (51.6 percent) for 502 yards and 1 touchdown, with 5 career interceptions. O'Brien spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at Alabama be- fore rejoining head coach Bill Belichick in New England. In Foxborough, McSorley will reunite with tight end Mike Gesicki, another for- mer Nittany Lion acquired by the Patri- ots this offseason. McSorley will start his time in the AFC East as the third-team quarterback behind expected starter Mac Jones and backup Bailey Zappe. TONEY'S PRO CAREER IN JEOPARDY Former Penn State defensive end Shaka Toney was one of a handful of players sus- pended by the NFL in April for violating the league's gambling policy. Toney, a first-team All-Big Ten se- lection during his senior season at Penn State, spent his first two pro seasons with the Washington Commanders, who picked him in Round 7 of the 2021 draft. The Philadelphia native has suited up in 26 contests since, totaling 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His suspension is consid- ered "indefinite," but he can apply for reinstatement after at least one year has passed. "We have been made aware of the sus- pension of Shaka Toney," the Command- ers said in a statement to Pro Football Focus. "We have cooperated fully with the NFL's investigation since receiving notice and support the league's findings and actions." Toney had not been released by the Commanders as of late May. Four current or former members of the Detroit Lions were also suspended by the league at the same time as Toney for gambling policy violations. The NFL did not specify which parts of the policy the suspended players had violated. ■ Lamar Stevens' Third NBA Season Ends In Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens was disheartened when his team was eliminated by New York in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Penn State's only NBA player, Stevens saw minimal action in two games against the Knicks, totaling 9 minutes and scoring 5 points. "I'm definitely feeling a little disappointed," he told reporters following Cleveland's 106-95 loss in Game 5 on April 26. "I wasn't ready for the season to end how it did, and I also feel like there are things we could have done better that were in our control." For the season, Stevens played in 62 games and started 25, averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. Robinson has been with Cleveland since November 2020 when he signed as an undrafted free agent after finishing his Penn State career as the program's second-leading scorer. He said he's hopeful that the Cavaliers' quick playoff exit after a 51-31 regular season will prove motivational in the months ahead. "Hopefully, it propels us into the future and makes us better individually and as a team and is some- thing we can learn from," he said. — Matt Herb