UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A total of 39 Penn State football alumni are populating the rosters of 25 National Football League organizations. The Nittany Lions annually rank among the top 20 programs nationally in producing players in the NFL.
In week one of the NFL season, linebacker Micah Parsons led the Cowboys defense to the first shutout of the year, a 40-0 drubbing of the Giants on Sunday night. Parsons posted a sack and a pair of quarterback hits in the game. Also, on the defensive side of the ball, safety Nick Scott racked up 11 total tackles in his Bengals debut. On offense, Pat Freiermuth scored a touchdown on a three-yard grab.
Four Nittany Lions made their NFL debuts in Week 1. Ji'Ayir Brown, Joey Porter Jr., Chris Stoll and Brenton Strange all saw their first professional action over the opening week of the NFL season.
Each week throughout the year, GoPSUSports.com provides updates on the feats of these former Nittany Lion greats.
Adrian Amos (2011-14) S, New York Jets
Jets 22, Bills 16
- Made two solo stops.
Troy Apke (2014-17) S, Washington Commanders
Commanders 20, Cardinals 16
- Apke began the season on the IR.
Saquon Barkley (2015-17) RB, New York Giants
Cowboys 40, Giants 0
- Carried the ball 12 times for 51 yards.
- Averaged 4.3 yards per carry with a long rush of 18 yards.
- Added three catches for 12 yards.
Ryan Bates (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Jets 22, Bills 16
- Saw action on special teams.
Nick Bowers (2018-19) TE, Miami Dolphins
Dolphins 36, Chargers 34
- Bowers is on Miami's practice squad.
Jaquan Brisker (2019-21) S, Chicago Bears
Packers 38, Bears 20
- Totaled seven tackles (3 solo).
- Defended one pass.
Cam Brown (2016-19) LB, New York Giants
Cowboys 40, Giants 0
- Was inactive (ankle injury).
Ji'Ayir Brown (2020-22) S, San Francisco 49ers
49ers 30, Steelers 7
- Saw action on special teams in his first NFL game.
Jason Cabinda (2014-17) FB, Detroit Lions
Lions 21, Chiefs 20
- Saw action on offense and special teams.
Tariq Castro-Fields (2017-21) CB, Washington Commanders
Commanders 20, Cardinals 16
- Is on Washington's practice squad.
Sean Clifford (2017-22) QB, Green Bay Packers
Packers 38, Bears 20
- Played five snaps in his first NFL game.
Jahan Dotson (2018-21) WR, Washington Commanders
Commanders 20, Cardinals 16
- Made five grabs for 40 yards.
Arnold Ebiketie (2021) DE, Atlanta Falcons
Falcons 24, Panthers 10
- Chipped in a solo tackle and a quarterback hit.
Pat Freiermuth (2018-20) TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
49ers 30, Steelers 7
- Secured the Steelers' lone touchdown grab on the day, a three-yard score.
Will Fries (2017-20) OL, Indianapolis Colts
Jaguars 31, Colts 21
- Made his first start of the season, playing 100 percent of the Colts' offensive snaps on the offensive line.
Mike Gesicki (2014-17) TE, New England Patriots
Eagles 25, Patriots 20
- Caught three passes for 36 yards in his first start on the Patriots.
Kevin Givens (2016-18) DT, San Francisco 49ers
49ers 30, Steelers 7
- Saw action on defense and special teams.
Chris Godwin (2014-16) WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers 20, Vikings 17
- Made five grabs for 51 yards.
Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19) DE, Carolina Panthers
Falcons 24, Panthers 10
- Saw action on defense and special teams.
Austin Johnson (2013-15) DT, Los Angeles Chargers
Dolphins 36, Chargers 34
- Defended one pass in his first start back from injury.
DaQuan Jones (2010-13) DL, Buffalo Bills
Jets 22, Bills 16
- Posted a pair of solo tackles.
Jesse Luketa (2018-21) LB, Arizona Cardinals
Commanders 20, Cardinals 16
- Posted three solo tackles.
Connor McGovern (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Jets 22, Bills 16
- Made his first start in a Bills uniform.
- Played 100 percent of the offensive snaps in the game.
PJ Mustipher (2018-22) DL, Denver Broncos
Raiders 17, Broncos 16
- Mustipher is on Denver's practice squad.
Amani Oruwariye (2015-18) CB, New York Giants
Cowboys 40, Giants 0
- Is on New York's practice squad.
Odafe Oweh (2019-20) DE, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens 25, Texans 9
- Made three total tackles (2 solo) in his first start of the season.
- Added three quarterback hits.
Micah Parsons (2018-19) LB, Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys 40, Giants 0
- Posted three total tackles (2 solo).
- Stuffed the stat sheet with a sack and two quarterback hits as Dallas' defense stifled New York, contributing the first shutout of the season on Sunday night.
Joey Porter Jr. (2019-22) CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
49ers 30, Steelers 7
- Made one solo tackle in his NFL debut.
Allen Robinson II (2011-13) WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
49ers 30, Steelers 7
- Led the team with 64 receiving yards on five catches.
- Secured the team's longest offensive play of the day, a 31-yard catch.
Miles Sanders (2016-18) RB, Carolina Panthers
Falcons 24, Panthers 10
- Rushed 18 times for 72 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry.
- Was the Panthers' second-leading receiver with four catches for 26 yards on the day.
Nick Scott (2015-18) S, Cincinnati Bengals
Browns 24, Bengals 3
- Totaled 11 tackles (4 solo), tying Germaine Pratt for the team lead.
- Tied for 13th in the NFL with 11 total tackles after week one.
Juice Scruggs (2018-22) OL, Houston Texans
Ravens 25, Texans 9
- Scruggs began the season on IR.
Donovan Smith (2012-14) OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Lions 21, Chiefs 20
- Made his first start in a Chiefs uniform on the offensive line.
Chris Stoll (2017-22) LS, Seattle Seahawks
Rams 30, Seahawks 13
- Made one tackle on special teams in his NFL debut.
Jordan Stout (2019-21) P, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens 25, Texans 9
- Punted five times for 249 yards, averaging 49.8 yards per punt.
- Dropped three punts inside the 20-yard line.
- Landed a booming 67-yard punt for his longest of the day.
Brenton Strange (2019-22) TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars 31, Colts 21
- Saw action on offense and special teams in his first NFL game.
Mitchell Tinsley (2022) WR, Washington Commanders
Commanders 20, Cardinals 16
- Was inactive.
Rasheed Walker (2019-21) OL, Green Bay Packers
Packers 38, Bears 20
- Saw action on offense and special teams.
Parker Washington (2020-22) WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars 31, Colts 21
- Was inactive.
No. 7/7 Penn State will travel to Illinois for its first Big Ten tilt of the season on Saturday, September 16. The game will kick off at noon on FOX.
The 2023 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.