Tag: P.J. Mustipher

Practice squad DL P.J. Mustipher is Cardinals’ latest Pat Tillman practice player of week

Mustipher is the latest Cardinals player to wear the Pat Tillman No. 40 jersey in practice.

Not many Arizona Cardinals fans are familiar with defensive lineman P.J. (given name Patrick Joseph) Mustipher, but he has made his mark since being signed to the team’s practice squad on Aug. 28, the day after being waived by the Eagles in the cutdown to 53 players.

Mustipher, whose brother Sam is on the Chargers’ practice squad, got to wear the Pat Tillman special No. 40 jersey this week after being named scout team player of the week for his work prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers. He is the fourth practice squad player to win the honor this season.

P.J. attended Penn State and entered the NFL as a Broncos undrafted free agent in 2023. He spent most of the season on the practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Dec. 6 and then played four games.

Not tendered as an exclusive-rights free agent at the start of the 2024 league year, he was signed by the Eagles on March 19.

Asked about the honor of wearing the jersey this week, he said, “I definitely know the history. He’s not only a representation of this organization, but our entire country. So, for me it’s just a privilege to put on that jersey because I know it’s retired and I know what it means.

“And also just understanding that the coaching staff appreciates and respects the work I’m doing for the offensive line. So I just want to continue to represent that number well for this week that I’m wearing it, but not only that but for the rest of this season as far as giving the looks to the offensive guys. I’m definitely grateful.”

Each week, prior to the mock game the day before the real thing, head coach Jonathan Gannon announces the winner accompanied by a PowerPoint of the player.

“It’s definitely cool and I didn’t take it lightly when I got it,” P.J. said.

He believes the award provides added motivation for the practice squad players and others who spend the week on the scout team.

He said, “For sure. Because you walk by the shrine in here, so you obviously understand the significance of the number. So to be able to put that on, each week you want to go out there … we talk trash to each other of who wants to get it, stuff like that. So for me, to be able to get it this past week, it was pretty special, so I’m definitely grateful and I want it again.”

The “shrine”:

Pat Tillman locker
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Cardinals

2024 Pat Tillman Scout-Team Award Winners

  • Week 1: RB Michael Carter
  • Week 2: LB Markus Bailey
  • Week 3: WR Andre Baccellia
  • Week 4: OL Jon Gaines II
  • Week 5: WR Xavier Weaver
  • Week 6: DL P.J. Mustipher

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Broncos add player to practice squad after losing DL to Saints

After losing DL P.J. Mustipher to the Saints, the Broncos filled his former spot on the practice squad by signing LB Durell Nchami.

The Denver Broncos made a change to their practice squad on Wednesday after losing a player to the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints signed rookie defensive lineman P.J. Mustipher off Denver’s practice squad, via Saints Wire. The 318-pound defensive lineman signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State in May and he spent the first 13 weeks of the 2023 season on the practice squad.

Mustipher will now get a raise and a chance to compete for playing time as a member of New Orleans’ active roster. Denver, meanwhile, filled the spot formerly held by Mustipher on the practice squad by signing linebacker Durell Nchami.

Nchami (6-4, 260 pounds) is an undrafted rookie out of Maryland. He totaled 49 tackles, nine sacks, one pass breakup and four forced fumbles in 33 career games with the Terrapins from 2018-2022.

Nchami (pronounced CHAH-me) will wear No. 53 with the Broncos. Denver’s practice squad and 53-man roster are now both full.

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P.J. Mustipher campaigns for Deion Barnes promotion

PJ Mustipher made it clear who he things should be Penn State’s next defensive line coach

When John Scott Jr. decided to leave Penn State for the NFL it left an opening on the coaching staff. [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his defense showed tremendous growth last year and toward the end of the season, the defensive line started to click with it all.

Scott Jr. leaving has folks wondering who could step in and help them not to lose the momentum they have going into 2023, [autotag]P.J. Mustipher[/autotag] has a suggestion.

The former Nittany Lions defensive tackle and team captain spoke Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine and he was vocal in his support of [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] getting the promotion from a defensive analyst.

“I want Coach Franklin to hire him,” Mustipher said. “I think he should because he’s put in a lot of work in our defensive line.”

Barnes returned to campus as a graduate assistant in 2020 following time spent as defensive coordinator at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. He would work closely and alongside Scott Jr. all the way up to his departure for the NFL last month.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has shown an affinity to be able to trust former players who come back to State College for a coaching career despite their experience. In the case of Barnes, he has never held a major coaching position within the program.

At the same time, Franklin has also shown he will look outside the program to make position coaching hirings as he did in January when he hired Marques Hagans from Virginia.

For the time being, the position remains vacant as spring practices continue on campus for the Nittany Lions.

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PHOTOS: Penn State All-Big Ten defensive team players

A photographic look at Penn State’s All-Big Ten players during the 2022 season.

Penn State and [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag]’s defense was well represented on the end-of-season All-Big Ten roster as voted on by the coaches and media. A total of six Penn State defenders found their way onto the teams through either media, coaches, or the voting of both.

The biggest name for Penn State and making an appearance on the first team roster for both media and coaches was [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] who was one of three defensive backs selected. The other two defensive backs to make both media and coaches teams were [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] and [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag].

Three other names to get voted to just one of the rosters were [autotag]P.J. Mustipher[/autotag], [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag], and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. Mustipher and Isaac were voted onto the media rosters. All in all, this is an impressive list and shows the veteran presence the defense had while also spotlighting the future with Isaac and Carter being highlighted.

Look back on their season now.

Penn State players make appearance on All-Big team roster

Find out which Penn State players received All-Big Ten honors from coaches and media

In a move that many expected, it has almost become a ritual at this point, Penn State seems to have its fingerprints all over the end-of-season All-Big Ten roster as voted on by the coaches and media.

The biggest name for Penn State and making an appearance on the first team roster for both media and coaches was [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] who was one of three defensive backs selected. Porter Jr. played in 10 games this year and recorded 27 tackles but forced no turnovers by any means. What he did do however was constantly lock down the opposing team’s number one receivers to the point they weren’t targeted and when they were he broke up 11 passes on the year.

Two more defensive backs made appearances on the Big Ten roster as both media and coaches voted for [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] and [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag].

King’s stat sheet is more heavy due to Porter Jr. being targeted less, he did intercept two passes this year while breaking up 14 passes overall. For Brown, he was a do-it-all player for the Penn State defense this year racking up forcing six total turnovers, gathering 5.5 sacks, and then breaking up three passes. Both men played big parts in the defense remaining the standard at Penn State.

Two other names to get voted to just one of the rosters were [autotag]P.J. Mustipher[/autotag], [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag], and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. Mustipher and Isaac were voted onto the media rosters with Mustipher coming back from a significant knee injury and playing this year when that wasn’t always a guarantee.

Freshman Abdul Carter was voted onto the media roster after an impressive freshman campaign that saw him gather up a combined 16.5 sacks and tackles for a loss while also forcing two fumbles in the process.

Not a bad first year for [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] as the coordinator of the Penn State defense.

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Several Nittany Lions on Senior Bowl Watchlist

These Penn State football players are on the watch list for this season’s Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl will be occurring for the 73rd time this coming February, as per usual Penn State is going to have some players on the roster. Last year Jahan Dotson made the game and showcased in front of all 32 NFL teams and because of that he was able to impress one. All it takes is just one team to fall in love with you and you can become a first-round pick, for Dotson that was the Washington Commanders.

This year, it appears more Nittany Lions may have a shot at impressing NFL teams down in Mobile, Alabama.

The Senior Bowl watches players all year round. They have a scouting staff like your normal NFL team and is led by Super Bowl winning scout and executive Jim Nagy. Nagy and his staff comb over every football team at every level looking for talent to watch as the season progresses. This year there are four players who have caught the eye of the staff down in Mobile.

Two on offense are Sean Clifford with should be no surprise. The sixth-year Nittany Lion quarterback will be approaching legendary status with the Penn State community. He is close to owning most passing records but he is bound for the NFL after this year. Teams should enjoy the way he carries himself off the field but if he makes it down to the Senior Bowl then he may be able to impress them on the field as well.

A surprise name for Penn State fans may be the other offensive player, [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag]. [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] went to the transfer portal and found the perfect compliment to [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] for this upcoming season. Expectations will be high for the former Western Kentucky player this year.

On defense you have the other two players as both [autotag]P.J. Mustipher[/autotag] and [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] are on the list as well. Brown has gone from junior college to Penn State team captain. With new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] he could see a big year, as could Mustipher. What will be critical for Mustipher is how his knee rebounds after injuring it last season.

More Penn State players may be able to play there way onto the Senior Bowl radar, for now though, these four names have the best chance at representing the team.

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Top three NFL draft-eligible defensive tackles in the Big Ten for 2022

Top three NFL draft-eligible defensive tackles in the Big Ten for 2022 #GoBucks #B1G

It is never too early to talk about the NFL Draft and one of the most polarizing and fun positions to discuss is the defensive tackle position. Most people are aware that the interior of the Buckeye defensive line could be the weak spot, but the Big Ten as a whole has some real talent.

The Penn State defensive line looks to be full of studs and the Nittany Lions know how to produce tough interior defenders like Austin Johnson, Jordan Hill, and Devon Still from years past. It is also not uncommon to see an Iowa defender make noise from the interior and as most are aware, Michigan is primed to have another dominant defensive line, but that’s enough talk, let’s dive into the list.