Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
A P R I L 2 0 2 5 19 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M FIVE YEARS AGO, 2020 With college and pro competi- tion shut down indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the few events that took place as scheduled in April 2020 was the NFL Draft. The draft was con- ducted virtually, with league com- missioner Roger Goodell announc- ing the picks for the first three rounds from his home. A pair of Nittany Lions were in that group, with defensive end Ye- tur Gross-Matos going early in the second round to the Carolina Pan- thers and receiver KJ Hamler hear- ing his name called eight picks later by the Denver Broncos. Gross-Matos went on to play four seasons in Carolina, totaling 142 tackles and 13 sacks in 55 games. He signed with San Francisco ahead of the 2024 season and finished with 19 tackles and 4 sacks after recovering from a knee injury that held him back early in the year. Hamler got off to a solid start in Denver, totaling 30 catches for 381 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie despite struggling with hamstring problems. His next two seasons were derailed by a series of injuries, and in 2023 he was diagnosed with pericarditis, a heart condition. He was waived by Denver in July 2023 and has since spent time on the Indianapolis and Buffalo practice squads. Three other Nittany Lions were se- lected in 2020 — cornerback John Reid (fourth round, Houston), linebacker Cam Brown (sixth round, New York Gi- ants) and defensive tackle Robert Wind- sor (sixth round, Indianapolis). Of that trio, only Brown was still in the league in 2024. 10 YEARS AGO, 2015 The 2015 Blue-White Game served mostly to confirm suspicions that the defense was well ahead of the offense in spring practice. The starter-laden Blue squad shut down the White, 17-7, sur- rendering only 99 yards in the process. But the backups did manage one splash play — a 51-yard carry by Nick Scott that supplied the White with its only points of the afternoon. Scott had appeared trapped in the backfield, but he spun away from defensive tackle An- thony Zettel, turned upfield and raced to the end zone. Afterward, James Franklin said he was excited by Scott's 77-yard perfor- mance (on 9 carries) in the game, and the coach was also happy with what he had seen from another redshirt fresh- man running back, Mark Allen. Those two looked as though they were ready to provide some depth behind return- ing starter Akeel Lynch. What's more, additional help was on the way in the form of yet-to-arrive freshmen Saquon Barkley and Andre Robinson. "We've got some guys coming in who I think are going to be able to compete and create some competitive en- vironments in practice," Franklin said. 25 YEARS AGO, 2000 The first two players chosen in the 2000 NFL Draft were both Nit- tany Lions. Defensive end Court- ney Brown went to the Cleveland Browns with the top overall pick, while linebacker LaVar Arrington went No. 2 to Washington. Brown had been the Big Ten De- fensive Player of the Year in 1999 and was a unanimous All-Amer- ican. Arrington had won the But- kus and Bednarik awards that year, highlighting an All-America career that would eventually land him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. Both enjoyed promising rookie seasons. Brown made 69 tackles, including 4.5 sacks, while Ar- rington, wearing jersey No. 56 in a nod to New York Giants great Law- rence Taylor, totaled 55 tackles and 4 sacks and won All-Rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers As- sociation. Then came the injuries. Brown played in only five games in 2001 and 11 the following year due to ankle and knee problems. Over the course of his career — which included five seasons in Cleveland and one in Denver — Brown played in 61 games while missing 35 with injuries. Arrington, too, was waylaid by health problems, though not before earning Pro Bowl nods in 2001, '02 and '03. Bothered by a knee injury, he played in 17 games and started only 10 in his last two seasons in Washington. After sign- ing with the New York Giants in 2006, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon and played in only six games. In June 2007, Arrington lost control of his motorcycle on the Capital Beltway in Maryland and sustained serious arm and back injuries. He had intended to play that season, but the accident was too much to overcome. He announced his retirement that September. — Matt Herb This Month In Penn State Athletics History Penn State receiver KJ Hamler was chosen by Denver with the 46th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. PHOTO COURTESY DENVER BRONCOS