Tag: Mike Reid

Penn State’s all-time first-round NFL draft picks

Every Penn State football player ever drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in school history.

In the history of the NFL draft, only a handful of schools have had more players drafted by NFL franchises than Penn State. The Nittany Lions have sent over 360 players through the NFL draft over the years, and that number continues to climb every year. And when it comes to first-round picks, Penn State has had a solid number of those as well, including some top draft picks.

Lenny Moore, arguably the best player in Penn State football history, is appropriately the first player in program history to be selected by an NFL franchise in the NFL draft. Since then, Penn State players have been selected in the first round numerous times through the decades with players like Shane Conlan, Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, LaVar Arrington, Saquon Barkley, and Micah Parsons.

Here is a look at every first-round NFL draft pick in Penn State history, starting with the first.

Sean Clifford named to Maxwell Award watch list

Sean Clifford seeks Penn State’s nation-leading 8th Maxwell Award

College football’s watch list season is officially underway, and Penn State quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] is already making an appearance on one of the more notable individual award’s watch list.

Clifford was among the players mentioned on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club. The award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding player as determined by The Maxwell Football Club.

Penn State has a strong history with the Maxwell Award with seven all-time winners of the award. Previous Maxwell Award winners from Penn State include [autotag]Richie Lucas[/autotag] (1959), [autotag]Glenn Ressler[/autotag] (1964), [autotag]Mike Reid[/autotag] (1969), [autotag]John Cappelletti[/autotag] (1973), [autotag]Chuck Fusina[/autotag] (1978), [autotag]Kerry Collins[/autotag] (1994), and [autotag]Larry Johnson[/autotag] (2002). Johnson is also the most recent player from a Big Ten school to win the award, giving the conference a surprising  20-year drought it is looking to end this fall.

Penn State is tied with Notre Dame for the most all-time Maxwell aWard winners with seven each.

Last year’s winner of the Maxwell Award was Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young was the fifth player from Alabama to win the award. Alabama’s first Maxwell Award winner was A.J. McCarron in 2013.

[vertical-gallery id=17914]

[lawrence-related id=21157]

[lawrence-related id=21319,21312,21274,21266,21263]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.