Jan. 6, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - As the National Football League playoffs begin this weekend, 12 former Nittany Lions begin their quest to compete for the Super Bowl LI title. The Penn State Football players dot the rosters of nine NFL teams in the playoff hunt.
A total of 32 Penn State football alumni are populating the rosters of 23 National Football League teams. The Nittany Lions annually are among the top 20 programs nationally in producing players in the NFL.
Among the Nittany Lions on NFL Playoff rosters are: linebacker Sean Lee (Dallas), defensive end Jack Crawford (Dallas), defensive lineman Anthony Zettel (Detroit), linebacker Tamba Hali (Kansas City), defensive end Cameron Wake (Miami), linebacker Mike Hull (Miami), cornerback Jordan Lucas (Miami), kicker Robbie Gould (New York Giants), quarterback Matt McGloin (Oakland), tight end Jesse James (Pittsburgh) and offensive lineman Garry Gilliam (Seattle). Additionally, former men's lacrosse player Chris Hogan and men's basketball player Ross Travis are on the active rosters for the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. Defensive end Devon Still is a member of the Houston Texans, but has been on injured reserve since October 5.
McGloin and Oakland open the playoffs against Houston Saturday at 4:35 p.m. on ESPN. McGloin served as the backup quarterback for the Raiders all season before earning the start in the Week 17 game against Broncos where he suffered a shoulder injury.
Four Nittany Lions will be on the field as the Dolphins and Steelers square off in the Wild Card round Sunday at 1:05 p.m. on CBS. A trio of former Nittany Lions ââ'¬" Hull, Lucas and Wake ââ'¬" are on the Miami Dolphins and making their playoff debuts. Hull appeared in all 16 games in his second NFL season and had 33 tackles and an interception. Lucas saw time in eight games and had two tackles. Wake recorded 29 tackles and a team-best 11.5 sacks, which also rank sixth in the NFL. Wake was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. In his second season with the Steelers, James started 13 of his 16 games and had 39 receptions for 338 yards and three touchdowns. He is making his second-straight playoff appearance.
Saturday's evening game features a pair of Nittany Lions as Zettel's Lions meet Gilliam's Seahawks at 8:15 p.m. on NBC. Zettel is making his first playoff appearance in his rookie season. He has 13 tackles and a sack on the year. Gilliam has started 13 of the 14 games he has appeared in this season.
Gould and New York travel to NFC North Champion Green Bay Sunday at 4:40 p.m. on FOX in the Wild Card Playoffs. Gould is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but this time it's as a member of the New York Giants. After being signed prior to week 7 by the Giants, Gould went 10-for-10 on field goals and 20-for-23 on extra points in 10 games.
NFL veteran Hali and Travis helped Kansas City to back-to-back playoff appearances after winning the AFC West title. The Chiefs earned a first round bye and will host a Divisional Playoff game Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1:05 p.m. on NBC. This is the fifth playoff bid for Hali. Hali appeared in all 16 regular season games with two starts. He totaled 34 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. Travis appeared in six games with three starts. He had three catches for 15 yards.
Crawford and Lee helped the Cowboys to the NFC East crown and a first round bye. Dallas will host a Divisional Playoff game Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4:40 p.m. on FOX. The pair is making its second NFL Playoff appearance. Crawford is in his fifth NFL season and had a career-high 25 tackles with 3.5 sacks this season. Lee is in his sixth NFL season and finished with a career-best 145 tackles in 15 games. He ranks tied for fourth in the NFL in total tackles.
Hogan guided the New England Patriots to the AFC East title and the AFC's No. 1 seed. The Patriots earned the bye and will host a Divisional Playoff game Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8:15 p.m. on CBS. Hogan finished the regular season with 38 receptions for a career-high 680 yards. He also matched his career high of four receiving touchdowns.
In addition to the 12 players, four former Nittany Lions are members of NFL coaching staffs participating the playoffs: Gary Brown (Dallas, running backs); Al Golden (Detroit, tight ends); Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Munchak (Pittsburgh, offensive line and Darren Perry (Green Bay, safeties). Additionally, former Penn State quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell is the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
Super Bowl 50 marked the 45th time in the NFL Championship contest's 50-game history that at least one Penn State alumnus was a member of one of the participating teams. Former Nittany Lion standout Jordan Norwood helped Denver to the Super Bowl 50 Championship. In all, 38 former Nittany Lions have earned a total of 55 Super Bowl rings.
Penn State won its first Big Ten Championship since 2008 and fourth overall with an 11-2 record and an 8-1 mark in Big Ten play. The No. 5 Nittany Lions made their fourth Rose Bowl appearance (1923, 1995, 2009, 2017).
Penn State season ticket renewals and Nittany Lion Club membership renewals also are underway for the 2017 campaign. The ticket invoice and Nittany Lion Club renewal deadline is Feb. 1, 2017. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season.
More than 1,600 new season tickets have been sold for the 2017 campaign. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2017 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.