Former Penn State OL Donovan Smith wins second Super Bowl

Penn State players have now won 63 Super Bowl rings in 53 Super Bowl appearances.

Penn State was guaranteed to have a Super Bowl champion in this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, and former offensive lineman [autotag]Donovan Smith[/autotag] was the one ending up on the winning side of an overtime classic on Sunday. Smith and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII when Patrick Mahomes completed a pass for the game-winning touchdown to Mecole Hardman in overtime in Las Vegas.

Smith, who joined the Chiefs in 2023, is now a two-time Super Bowl champion. Smith won his first Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Smith also helped add to Penn State’s all-time Super Bowl champion count by raising Penn State’s Super Bowl ring count up to 63. Penn State has been represented by at least one Super Bowl participant in 53 out of 58 Super Bowl games in NFL history.

The 49ers had two former Nittany Lions looking to win a Super Bowl. Defensive lineman [autotag]Kevin Givens[/autotag] and rookie safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] each played for the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Brown started off the second half of the game with a big interception of Mahomes and ended the night with 11 tackles. Givens had two tackles in the game.

Smith will now enter free agency this offseason. Whether or not he will return to Kansas City in 2024 remains to be seen, but he did prove his value after starting 12 regular season games and returning from injury for the playoff run.

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WATCH: Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown picks off Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl

Watch Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown pick off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

When he was at Penn State, [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] was a bit of a ball-hawking safety in the Penn State defensive backfield. Now he has perhaps the biggest interception of his life.

Brown, a rookie for the San Francisco 49ers, picked off a pass from Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the opening drive of the second half of Super Bowl LVIII, giving the 49ers a quick defensive stop.

Brown was a third-round pick of the 49ers in the 2023 NFL draft. Brown, one of Penn State’s top JUCO transfers from Lackawanna College, ended his Penn State career by being named the Rose Bowl defensive eMVP at the end of the 2022 season. Now he has one of the top defensive plays in this year’s Super Bowl.

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Former Penn State star NaVorro Bowman reuniting with Jim Harbaugh

NaVorro Bowman joining Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles with a new NFL job.

After winning a national championship last month, Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for a chance to return to the NFL as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh has been busy assembling his coaching staff with the NFL franchise with some members from his Michigan staff, and he is now reuniting with one of his former players from his last run in the NFL. And this one has a Penn State connection.

Former defensive standout [autotag]NaVorro Bowman[/autotag] will be joining Harbaugh in Los Angeles as a linebackers coach. Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the news of the staff update for the Chargers.

Bowman previously played for Harbaugh when Harbaugh was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Bowman spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the 49ers, three of which led to Pro Bowl appearances and four ending with All-Pro honors.

Bowman ended his college career by receiving first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 2009 season with Penn State. He opted to declare for the NFL draft in 2010 and was a third-round draft pick of the 49ers. Bowman retired from the NFL in June 2019.

Bowman joined the Maryland football staff as a defensive analyst last season. It was his first staff or coaching job since wrapping up his football playing career.

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Penn State alumni could have a big impact on this year’s Super Bowl

Which Nittany Lions will have an impact on the Super Bowl this year?

As Super Bowl LVIII draws closer, football fans across the world are contemplating who they should be rooting for. Those who do not care for either team may be looking at individual players or perhaps the best story to decide their pick. It may be easiest for college football fans to root for the team with players from your favorite school, if they happen to have any.

For Penn State fans, however, that could cause a split. The Nittany Lions have three players representing them in the big game. Representing the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs is starting tackle [autotag]Donovan Smith[/autotag], and for the San Francisco 49ers safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Kevin Givens[/autotag] are big pieces on defense. Brown in particular has stepped up as a starter for the 49ers after an injury to All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga,

All three of Penn State’s representatives have a chance of making a big impact on the outcome of the game, but none more than Donovan Smith. Smith had been a rock at left tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for nearly a decade before signing with the Chiefs in 2023. He is no longer the above-average starter he once was, so how well he can hold up against the 49ers pass rush will be a huge part of the game.

Brown and Givens will have their own challenges dealing with the Kansas City offense. Brown has always been more of a tough, gritty box safety as opposed to a rangy cover player. The Chiefs could look to attack him through the air with their assortment of tight ends and running backs. Givens meanwhile will try and provide quality snaps against a very strong interior offensive line. Neither of them has the responsibility that Smith does, but they could still play deciding roles in the biggest game of their lives.

Either way, the number of Super Bowl rings earned by the Nittany Lions will get even higher, and that’s something to be proud of.

Jahan Dotson recruiting Micah Parsons to join him on the Commanders

Former Nittany Lions receiver wants Micah Parsons to join him on the Commanders

It was reported yesterday that the Washington Commanders were hiring former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn.

Former Penn State linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] was drafted the same year Quinn took over the defense in Dallas, and both were a huge part in leading a resurgent Cowboys defense. With Parsons and Quinn in the fold, the Cowboys were a top-5 defense in the past three seasons.

Parsons is known for his quips with the media, and a few weeks ago, Parsons was asked about Quinn’s future, as many suspected his name to be at the top of many teams’ shortlists.

“Dan’s my guy,” Parsons said via NFL.com. “And if he do leave me, it’s always love. He might take me with him, you never know.”

Parsons, who will be in the market for a new contract this summer, said this while laughing right next to Jerry Jones’s office. Jones and the Cowboys will have no intention of getting rid of their best player, but Parsons’ fondness for Quinn was well taken.

Once the news broke of the Commander’s new head coach, former Penn State and current Washington wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] went to social media to try and recruit his former college teammate.

Obviously, no one except perhaps desperate Commanders fans should take this seriously. Parsons is a Cowboy, and every sign points to him being there for the foreseeable future. But we can all get behind two former Nittany Lions having some fun banter.

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Former Penn State linebacker will make history in Super Bowl as an official

This year’s Super Bowl will feature some unique Penn State football history in the making.

Under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag], Penn State has begun to put multiple players in the National Football League year after year.

It’s a testament to his, and his staff’s, recruiting acumen to get talented players to Happy Valley and then develop them into players that NFL teams want to draft and keep on their roster.

Seven former Nittany Lions are on the rosters of teams in the AFC and NFC Championship Games this weekend. There is at least one on every team, ensuring that a former Penn State player will take home a Super Bowl ring this year.

However, it’s another Nittany Lion who is making headlines this weekend as Terry Killens will make history as the first person to every play in and officiate a Super Bowl.

Killens was a great player for Penn State from 1992-95, becoming a captain during his last season in the program. He shares the single-game sack record of four and had the 10th-most sacks in a season with 11.

This earned him a selection by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1996 draft. He was on the Houston Titans’ 1999 Super Bowl team who lost to the St. Louis Rams.

Killens played seven seasons in the NFL with three different teams, wracking up a career total of 83 tackles and one sack according to Pro Football Reference.

He retired after the 2002 season with the Seattle Seahawks and popped up as an official in college football’s American Athletic Conference in 2013.

The former linebacker moved into the NFL ahead of the 2019 season in the umpire role, which is what he’ll be doing when he makes history officiating the biggest game in football on Feb. 11.

This was the first year that he was eligible to work the Super Bowl as he’s now been an official for five years in the NFL.

Former Penn State star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. named a finalist for the NFL’s DROY

Former Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. named finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

The postseason accolades keep coming in for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag]. After being named to the 2023 All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers of America on Tuesday, Porter Jr. was recognized Thursday as a finalist for the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Porter Jr. was the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and followed in his father’s footsteps to Pittsburgh. He quickly became a stalwart on the outside for the Steelers. In his first NFL season, Porter had 43 total tackles and 10 pass deflections to go along with one interception. Porter made the playoffs in his first year in the league, but the Steelers were eliminated by the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wildcard.

Below is the list of all five finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year:

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists:

Porter isn’t viewed as the favorite for the award, with Carter, Anderson, and Witherspoon seen as the defacto top three. Witherspoon, a former Illinois Fighting Illini, beat out Porter for the Big Ten’s Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year in 2022.

Whatever the outcome, Porter Jr. had a tremendous rookie season and looks to be a future building block for the Steelers. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors on February 8th at 9 p.m. EST.

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Former Nittany Lions Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown named to PFWA 2023 All-Rookie Team

Pro football writers honor former Penn State defensive back duo on 2023 All-Rookie team.

It did not take long for two key members from the 2022 Penn State defense to leave their respective marks on the NFL. [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag], former defensive backfield teammates for the Nittany Lions, each landed on the 2023 All-Rookie Team from the Pro Football Writers of America on Tuesday.

Although Porter Jr. was the no. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he was actually the first pick in the second round of the draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Porter Jr. and he quickly immersed himself in a key role in the defense/ The three-time All-Big Ten player played four seasons at Penn State and left a year early to follow in his father’s footsteps at the next level. In his first NFL season, Porter had 43 tackles with 10 pass deflections and 1 interception.

Brown was a third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFL draft. Brown was a JUCO transfer addition for Penn State in 2020 from Lackawanna College, and he wasted little time becoming one of the top playmaking safeties in the Big Ten. In his first year as a starter in 2021, playing alongside Jaquan Brisker, Brown had six interceptions and went on to be named the defensive MVP of the 2023 Rose Bowl in his final game in a Penn State uniform. Brown had 35 tackles with 4 pass deflections and 2 interceptions in his rookie season for the 49ers.

Brown has a chance to play in the Super Bowl a year after helping Penn State win the Rose Bowl. Brown and the 49ers host the Detroit Lions in this weekend’s NFC Championship Game.

Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans) was named the PFWA Rookie of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Former Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (Houston Texans) was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans also drafted former Penn State offensive lineman [autotag]Juice Scruggs[/autotag], who has been a key part of the offensive line for the Texans this season as well.

You can see the full PFWA 2023 All-Rookie Team here.

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KJ Hamler signs contract with Buffalo Bills

Former Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler signs with NFL playoff team.

A day after being eliminated from the NFL postseason, the Buffalo Bills have added a former Penn State wide receiver to their roster. [autotag]KJ Hamler[/autotag] reportedly signed a reserve/futures contract with the Bills on Monday, as reported by Field Yates of ESPN.

A reserve/future contract is a short-term contract for current or practice squad players in the NFL. They are used by teams to keep players under their control with the intent of using them for the next season and players are included on the offseason 90-player limit. This means Hamler will be able to participate in offseason workouts and training camp with the Buffalo Bills, giving him a chance to earn a spot on the team’s active roster next fall.

Hamler was a second-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2020 NFL draft, following a second-team All-Big Ten season with the Nittany Lions in 2019. Hamler dealt with a number of injuries during his three seasons with the Broncos, including a torn ACL in 2021 and a hamstring injury, and a torn pectoral muscle in 2022.

The Broncos waived Hamler in July 2023 and signed with the Indianapolis Colts to be on the practice squad. The Colts chose not to keep Hamler on with a reserve/future contract following the season, leaving him available for the Bills.

Hamler has 42 career receptions for 620 yards and 3 touchdowns in the NFL.

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Micah Parsons had some truly bad NFL wild card weekend predictions

Micah Parsons should probably avoid handing out game picks on his podcast after the NFL Wild Card weekend.

Former Penn State linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] was hoping this would be the year his Dallas Cowboys made a solid run to end the franchise’s Super Bowl drought. Unfortunately for Parsons, the Cowboys were one and done with a humiliating defeat at home to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The no. 2 seed in the NFC saw their season blow up with the worst defensive performance of the season as Parsons ended the game with just one tackle.

It turns out Parsons took a few more beatings this NFL wild card weekend, because his weekend predictions were also abysmal throughout the weekend, with Monday still leaving us with two games to go.

On his podcast last week, Parsons went on record with his NFL Wild Card predictions, and we have arrived at Monday still waiting for one of those picks to be right.

Parsons suggested the Houston Texans were limited on offense when he picked the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won by a score of 45-14. Parsons noted the injury concerns with the Miami Dolphins but still picked them on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champs won 26-7 in the frigid temperatures. Parsons took the Los Angeles Rams on the road against the Detroit Lions, but the Lions held on for a 24-23 victory at home on Sunday night. And, of course, Parsons picked the Cowboys against the Packers, and we know how that went.

Parsons can save some face with Monday’s wild card schedule. Parsons picked the Buffalo Bills at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home against Parsons’ division rival the Philadelphia Eagles.

Following the loss by the Cowboys, many will be anxious to hear what Parsons has to say on his next podcast. But maybe don’t pay attention to his picks for the NFL’s divisional round.

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