Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 7 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F ormer Penn State long snapper Chris Stoll is a Super Bowl cham- pion. The special teamer had a low-key but significant role in Seattle's 29-13 win over New England on Feb. 8 in Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks kicked 5 field goals, all of which started with a great snap from Stoll to holder Michael Dick- son before kicker Jason Myers put each boot through the uprights. Myers set a Super Bowl record for most made field goals in a single game. In addition, Stoll snapped on a pair of PATs and 7 punts. Dickson is the Se- ahawks' punter and had a huge impact on the game, averaging 47.9 yards and pinning the Patriots inside their own 20-yard line three times. After the vic- tory, he praised Stoll's work, calling him "the best in the world." "Some of the snaps today just felt like a video game," Dickson said. "They came out so perfectly." Stoll arrived at Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after serving as Penn State's starting long snapper for four seasons. Following his redshirt senior year in 2022, he won the Patrick Man- nelly Award, which goes to the nation's top long snapper. At Super Bowl media day, Stoll said he was grateful to PSU for helping him achieve his pro football ambitions, but he also expressed some disenchantment with the decision in October to fire his former coach, James Franklin. "Blessed to represent Penn State, rep- resent a school that did everything for me," he told reporters. "Wish I was still representing a coach that did everything for me." OLAIVAVEGA IOANE SEEN AS LIKELY FIRST-ROUNDER Guard Olaivavega Ioane still projects as Penn State's lone first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. A new set of media mock drafts issued following the Super Bowl had the second-team All-Amer- ican going anywhere from the middle to the latter part of the opening round on April 23. USA To d ay h a d t h e 6 - fo o t - 4, 323-pound Ioane going 14th overall to the Baltimore Ravens, noting that his "overall steadiness would make him a natural solution to a Baltimore interior line that too often was responsible for derailing the offense last season." Former ESPN analyst Todd McShay agreed that Ioane would be a good fit with the AFC North team, which is un- der new leadership now that former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordina- tor Jesse Minter has taken over for John Harbaugh. "While he's not an elite athlete, he makes up for it with smarts, length, and anchor strength," McShay wrote. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt, meanwhile, had Ioane going 13th to the Los Angeles Rams. "I love Ioane," Klatt said. "He didn't allow a sack in the last two years, and he might be the best interior offensive lineman in the draft." NINE NITTANY LIONS EARN COMBINE INVITES Nine Penn State football players were invited to participate in the NFL Scout- ing Combine Feb. 23-March 2 in India- napolis. This year's PSU contingent in- cludes quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, tight end Khalil Dinkins, offen- sive tackle Drew Shelton, guard Olai- vavega Ioane, defensive tackle Zane Du- rant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Zakee Wheatley. Singleton made the list even though he suffered a broken foot at a Senior Bowl practice on Jan. 29, requiring sur- gery. Dennis-Sutton and Durant were slated to perform Feb. 26, followed by Dinkins and Wheatley on Feb. 27, Al- lar, Singleton and Allen on Feb. 28, and Ioane and Shelton on March 1. Singleton was not expected to take part in on-field drills due to his injury, but he will be available to meet with teams. PARSONS, STOUT EARN FIRST-TEAM ALL-PRO HONORS Despite seeing his season end pre- maturely with a torn ACL in Week 15, edge rusher Micah Parsons was named a first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press in January. It was Parsons' fourth All-Pro nod in five NFL seasons and his first as a member of the Green Bay Packers. Before getting hurt against Denver on Dec. 14, Parsons totaled 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits and 83 pressures. In addition to Parsons, former Nittany Lion punter Jordan Stout earned first- team AP All-Pro honors. In his fourth season with the Baltimore Ravens, Stout compiled a 44.9-yard net punting aver- age. ■ Chris Stoll Becomes Latest Lion To Win Super Bowl Ring G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Stoll has been Seattle's starting long snapper for the past three seasons. He snapped on 5 field goals, 2 extra points and 7 punts in the Seahawks' 29-13 win over New England in Super Bowl LX. PHOTO COURTESY SEATTLE SEAHAWKS