Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787374
CHRIS HOGAN WR // New England // fourth season While at Penn State, Hogan played midfielder for the lacrosse team from 2007-10 and finished his career with 71 points on 57 goals and 14 assists. He got his shot in the NFL after playing one sea- son of football at Monmouth as a gradu- ate transfer. Hogan, a former practice squad player with the 49ers, Giants and Dolphins, fin- ished his first regular season in New Eng- land with 38 receptions, setting career-highs with 680 yards and four TDs. He also had one rushing attempt for 4 yards and completed a pass for 4 yards. Hogan was a difference-maker in the playoffs, catching 13 passes for 175 yards and two TDs in the Patriots' victories over Houston and Pittsburgh. He was the only Penn State representative in Super Bowl LI, catching four passes for 57 yards in New England's comeback victory. ROSS TRAVIS TE // Kansas City Chiefs // rookie At Penn State, Travis played basketball for head coach Patrick Chambers from 2011-14. He played in 68 games during his final two seasons, averaging more than 27 minutes and almost 6 points per game. He also averaged 6.6 rebounds over his final two seasons. This past fall, Travis played in six games with three starts. He caught three passes for 15 yards in his first season of pro foot- ball. ■ OTHER PENN STATERS IN THE NFL J ames Franklin's argument to his NFL- eligible players is straightforward. Although exceptions can and should be made for special circumstances, Penn State's head coach believes his players shouldn't forgo their collegiate eligi- bility unless they are likely to be taken in the first round or, at worst, the sec- ond. "I'm a huge believer that you don't leave early for the NFL unless you're going to be a first-rounder," Franklin said recently. "You can make arguments about leaving early if you're a second- rounder. Anything after that, in my opinion, you really shouldn't." Franklin has numbers to support his stance. This year, 95 players have opted to give up college eligibility to enter the draft. Those players are joining a much larger talent pool made up of seniors who have exhausted their eligi- bility. With only 256 total picks in the upcoming draft, there's a good chance that many of the underclassmen who came out before the Jan. 16 deadline won't be drafted at all. As Franklin noted, "There are only so many spots. I think you're going to see a record num- ber of guys come out early, and you're going to see a record number of guys who don't get drafted, and that's not what you want." The total wasn't actually a record; 96 underclassmen entered the draft in 2016, and 98 came out in 2014. But the point stands. Only about two-thirds of last year's early entrants were selected, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press. The Nittany Lions have two early en- trants this year: wide receiver Chris Godwin and defensive end Garrett Sick- els. Both announced following the team's 52-49 loss to USC in the Rose Bowl that they would be pursuing ca- reers in the NFL. Godwin will be com- peting against 22 other early-entrant wide receivers, while Sickels is one of seven such defensive ends. Franklin said that the level of competi- tion is of particular concern when it comes time for draft-eligible players to make their decisions. Players must not only consider where they rate in their position group but also how highly that position group is valued. "It's not about where you rank at your position; it's where you rank overall in the draft and what the needs are, and then also how many players," he said. "Is it a strong draft class at your position?" Franklin rejects the conventional wis- dom that says players should be more focused on maximizing their second contract than their first. Citing data that shows the average NFL career is only 3.3 years, he noted that many players will never receive a second contract. In addi- tion, the guaranteed money drops dra- matically from the first round to the subsequent rounds. So as far as Franklin is concerned, the first contract is most important, and the best way to maxi- mize that contract is to stay in school. It's also the best way to get a degree, which will pay dividends after one's football career is over. "I'm not sitting here and saying that this is a really simple decision. There are so many factors that go into it," Franklin said. "But if you just take the basic in- formation… I still go back to the point where you really shouldn't leave early unless you're going to be a first- or sec- ond-rounder." Franklin said he was pleased with the way this year's draft-worthy players handled their decisions, including those who opted to stay for another year at Penn State. He pointed out that all par- ties took their time and went through the evaluation process patiently. Three players opted to return: line- backer Jason Cabinda, free safety Mar- cus Allen and tight end Mike Gesicki. Franklin said he expects both the players and the program to benefit from their decisions. "There is great value for Penn State in getting older players to come back and contribute," he said. "But I also think there's great value for that individual being able to improve their draft status and be able to put reps on tape that show that they are a high-level player and going to be able to perform those things consistently." –NATE BAUER Franklin: Most early NFL entrants should stay in school