Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M downs. In Week 1 of the preseason, he played primary inside in Washington's offense, catching 2 passes for 13 yards in a 20-17 loss to the New York Jets. Pro Football Focus believes that will be his regular role moving forward. "New offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach from 2019-2022," PFF's Nathan Jahnke noted. "During that time, Cardinals wide receivers in the slot caught 434 passes, which was the second most among teams in that time. Most teams in the top five had one clear slot receiver during that time, whereas the Cardinals had Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore. "The only concern is that multiple starters stopped playing after the first drive but Dotson continued — likely be- cause this is a new role for him. This is also bad news for anyone who expected Luke McCaffrey to have a major role with the Commanders this season. Mc- Caffrey didn't see his first snap until the second half, placing him ninth on the depth chart currently." Dotson told LehighValleyLive.com that the pro game has slowed down for him, giving him a chance to reach his full potential. "My rookie year, everything was just happening back to back to back to back," Dotson explained. "I really didn't get to have an appreciation for everything. It was just going fast. Now, going into Year 3, I have an appreciation for things and slowing life down a little bit, slowing my mind down. I feel like I'm getting the hang of the NFL. I'm ready to have a big Year 3 and showcase my talent. "We're going to do a lot of different things. One big thing is the hurry-up offense. It kind of takes me back to col- lege a little bit. I feel like that's going to be an exciting thing for us and some- thing that we can use to our advantage. I'm really excited for that." FREIERMUTH EXCITED BY STEELERS' NEW OFFENSE Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Frei- ermuth figures to have a big role in the scheme being installed by first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. That's at least one of the reasons why the former Nittany Lion would not be a part of any potential trade package the AFC team might put together to try to acquire San Francisco 49ers star re- ceiver Brandon Aiyuk, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Freiermuth has started 26 of 44 career games through three NFL seasons, all of which have been spent in Pittsburgh. He has 155 career receptions for 1,537 yards and 11 touchdowns and is aiming to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2023 season in which he suited up for only 12 games. "I think the best thing about Coach Smith is just how attention-to-detail he is and how he's installing the offense, which is new for everyone," Freiermuth told PennLive.com. "Man, it's pretty complex, so when he's loading up these installs, he is making sure we under- stand the why of everything, not just what we do, but the whole concept of each play and scheme and everything. "It's been good for us to challenge our football knowledge, definitely challeng- ing people to study more and be in the building more. I think it's been good for everyone. It's good for the defense, showing different looks than what they've been used to for the past three years, and I think it's just going to help everyone involved. I can't say enough good things about his leadership. It's been awesome." HALEY RETIRES; AMOS TO JAGUARS Former Penn State cornerback Grant Haley says his playing days are over. He announced his retirement from the NFL in early August. "For over half my life, I gave every- thing I had to a dream that didn't hap- pen by accident but happened because of the values my parents, coaches and mentors instilled upon me," Haley said in a statement on Instagram. "I could not have done this alone and I am thankful for the support of those who know me beyond the helmet. I bent but never broke through the adversity life threw at me and gained respect from those who wanted to see me fail." Haley played five seasons in the NFL. He started his career with the New York Giants, spent a year in New Orleans in 2020, and suited up for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and '22, winning a Su- per Bowl ring with the team the first of those two seasons. He has not played since seeing action in four games in 2022. At Penn State, Haley will always be remembered for the blocked field goal that he returned for a touchdown against second-ranked Ohio State in 2016, giving the Nittany Lions a 24-21 win that propelled them back to the na- tional spotlight. While Haley is hanging up his pads, safety Adrian Amos is extending his ca- reer. The longtime pro signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 6 and is getting set to embark on his 10th NFL season. Amos most recently played for the New York Jets. Over the past decade, he spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers, amassing 10 in- terceptions and 664 tackles in 142 pro contests. ■ Fourth-year pro Pat Freiermuth is eager to see how he fares in Pittsburgh's new-look offense this fall. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS