Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787374
F E A T U R E S ior. Playing in seven games on defense, he collected nine tackles and had two pass break-ups. He also blocked two field goals and an extra point. As a receiver, Crenshaw had 20 career catches for 288 yards and one TD. He also played two stints as a reserve on the Penn State bas- ketball team, once as a freshman and again as a fifth-year senior. OMAR EASY RECRUITING RECAP Easy played only two years of high school football but still amassed 2,193 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging 13.8 yards per carry for Everett High. A consensus All- America selection, he was named Massa- chusetts Player of the Year by Gatorade and USA Today. Recruited by assistant coach Joe Sarra, Easy made visits to Penn State and Syracuse. He canceled official visits to Michigan, Notre Dame and USC after committing to the Lions. WHAT CAME NEXT Playing a mix of tail- back and fullback and lettering three years at PSU, he totaled 659 career rush- ing yards for an average of 4.3 yards per carry and five touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 250 yards. Selected in the fourth round of the 2001 draft (No. 107 overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs, Easy played four professional seasons be- fore a knee injury cut his career short. He later received his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Penn State and worked in the football offices before returning home to Everett, where he is now a high school administrator. JOHN GILMORE RECRUITING RECAP As a senior at Wil- son High in West Lawn, Pa., Gilmore tal- lied 35 receptions for 667 yards and seven TDs. Considered one of the three best tight ends in the country, he earned All- State honors from The Associated Press. Recruited by Jackson, Gilmore committed to Penn State in the spring of his junior year and didn't take any further visits. WHAT CAME NEXT Winner of the Hall Foundation Award as Penn State's out- standing senior player and an elected co- captain, Gilmore caught 58 passes in his career for 634 yards and three touch- downs. A three-year letterman, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 draft (No. 196 overall) by the New Orleans Saints. He went on to play 10 NFL seasons with the Saints, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recording 55 career re- ceptions for 544 yards and six TDs. RON GRAHAM RECRUITING RECAP Along with his friend Arrington, Graham was one of the two best linebackers in the country. The Pittsburgh native finished his prep career at Penn Hills High with 361 tackles, 18 sacks and 12 fumble recoveries. A USA Today first-team All-American, Graham chose Penn State over Michigan State and Pitt. Bradley was his lead recruiter. WHAT CAME NEXT Graham lettered from 1998-2001 and played in at least 11 games in each of his four seasons. He had the game-clinching interception in the 1999 Alamo Bowl against Texas A&M and fin- ished his career with 122 total tackles. Ac- cording to his LinkedIn profile, he is now a teacher in the Philadelphia area. CASEY HANNON RECRUITING RECAP An injury shortened Hannon's senior season at The Pingry School in Lebanon, N.J., to just two games, but that didn't stop him from being ranked as one of the top five place- kickers in the country. Recruited by Gan- ter, he chose Penn State over Boston College, Syracuse and Virginia, and earned his scholarship after an outstand- ing camp performance in June before his senior year. WHAT CAME NEXT After a redshirt sea- son from which he emerged as the Lions' third-team kicker, Hannon transferred to Villanova in 1998. JOE HARTINGS RECRUITING RECAP A two-time Divi- sion VI All-Ohio selection, Hartings was credited with more than 60 tackles as a senior on the defensive line at St. Henry High, and he also compiled an 85 percent blocking grade playing on the offensive line. The younger brother of former Nit- tany Lion All-American Jeff Hartings, he was recruited by Jay Paterno. Penn State was his most prestigious scholarship offer. WHAT CAME NEXT A guard at Penn State, Hartings battled a back injury for a large portion of his career. He missed the 1999 season after having back surgery, as well as his senior year. He earned two de- grees from Penn State and lettered in 2000. BOB JONES RECRUITING RECAP Playing in a Wing-T offense at Wadsworth (Ohio) High, Jones didn't post big numbers, catching only 10 passes for 174 yards as a senior. On de- fense, he recorded 74 tackles and five sacks. A second-team Division II All- State pick, Jones was recruited by Jay Pa- terno and only visited Penn State. WHAT CAME NEXT A two-year starter on defense and a four-year letterman, Jones recorded 35 tackles and was tied for third with three sacks as a senior. He was a team captain, finishing his career with 16 tackles for loss. Also a long snapper, he