Sept. 15, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Penn State Football alumni again comprise a large portion of National Football League rosters.
There were 31 former Nittany Lions with NFL teams during the 2010 Season Kickoff week, again placing Penn State among the top 12 schools in the nation in producing current NFL players. Twenty-eight Penn Staters were on active rosters and three were on practice squads.
Twenty-one NFL teams have at least one Penn Stater on its roster.
All six players from Penn State's 2010 Capital One Bowl champion team that were drafted made NFL squads as rookies: linebacker Navorro Bowman (San Francisco 49ers), linebacker Josh Hull (St. Louis Rams), linebacker Sean Lee (Dallas Cowboys), defensive tackle Jared Odrick (Miami Dolphins), tight end Andrew Quarless (Green Bay Packers) and tight end Mickey Shuler (Minnesota Vikings).
The Buffalo Bills feature a league-high three former Nittany Lions on their roster. Veterans Paul Posluszny and Bryan Scott are joined by a second-year DE Aaron Maybin, a 2009 NFL first round draft choice.
Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins, who is entering his 16th season, tops the former Nittany Lions in NFL seniority.
Wide receiver Jordan Norwood (Cleveland), guard Rich Ohrnberger (New England) and center A.Q. Shipley (Philadelphia) are on NFL practice squads.
More than 360 Nittany Lions have signed NFL contracts since Joe Paterno became head coach in 1966. The Hall of Fame coach has seen 275 of his players drafted by NFL squads, including 33 in the first round.
Thirty-six Nittany Lions have been NFL first round draft choices overall, most recently defensive tackle Odrick, whom the Miami Dolphins selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Penn State has had at least one alumnus on a Super Bowl team in 39 of 44 title games. Thirty-two former Nittany Lions have earned a total of 48 Super Bowl rings.
Former Nittany Lions on 2010 NFL rosters as of Sept. 14 (pro season in parenthesis):
Deon Butler |
Arizona Cardinals - Levi Brown (4)
Buffalo Bills - Aaron Maybin (2), Paul Posluszny (4), Bryan Scott (8)
Carolina Panthers - Dan Connor (3), Ed Johnson (3)
Chicago Bears - Anthony Adams (8), Robbie Gould (6)
Cleveland Browns - Jordan Norwood (2) - p.s.
Dallas Cowboys - Sean Lee (1)
Detroit Lions - Bryant Johnson (8), Derrick Williams (2)
Green Bay Packers - Andrew Quarless (1)
Kansas City Chiefs - Tamba Hali (5)
Miami Dolphins - Jared Odrick (1), Cameron Wake (2)
Minnesota Vikings - Jimmy Kennedy (8), Mickey Shuler (1)
New England Patriots - Rich Ohrnberger (2) - p.s.
New York Giants - Kareem McKenzie (10)
Oakland Raiders - Jay Alford (4)
Philadelphia Eagles - A.Q. Shipley (2) - p.s.
San Francisco 49ers - Navorro Bowman (1)
Seattle Seahawks - Deon Butler (2), Michael Robinson (5)
St. Louis Rams - Josh Hull (1), Justin King (3)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - John Gilmore (10)
Tennessee Titans - Kerry Collins (16), Tim Shaw (4)
Washington Redskins - Larry Johnson (8)