Tag: Robert Windsor

Every NFL draft pick coached by James Franklin

Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and every other NFL draft pick who played for James Franklin.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] got his first head coaching opportunity with Vanderbilt after the 2010 season despite previously being the head coach-in-waiting at Maryland. The Commodores are not necessarily known for producing a tremendous amount of NFL talent, but Vanderbilt managed to send a few players off to the next level by way of the NFL draft under the guidance of Franklin, who has experience as an assistant coach in the NFL.

In the years Franklin was the head coach at Vanderbilt, from 2011 through 2013, Vanderbilt had seven players drafted. And a few more who would go on to be drafted later on out of Vanderbilt were brought into the program initially by Franklin and his staff. The seven players drafted from Vanderbilt from Franklin’s three seasons with the program is the most draft picks from Vanderbilt in a three-year span in school history since 1957-1969 saw 11 players selected by NFL teams, in the days of a draft lasting at least 20 rounds.

Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, Franklin has seen a growing number of his players go on to be drafted by NFL franchises, including an offensive rookie of the year in running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in 2018 and a defensive rookie of the year in linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] in 2021.

Here is a look at every player drafted by an NFL team that had James Franklin as a head coach in their last game before being drafted, beginning with Franklin’s time at Vanderbilt.

And once you are done checking out this list, here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State joined the Big Ten.

Every Penn State player in the XFL in 2023

Looking for every Penn State player on an XFL roster in 2023? Here they are.

As the curtain closes on the NFL’s 2022 season with the crowning of a Super Bowl champion, the football calendar moves next to the start of the XFL regular season. The XFL is back under new leadership headlined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and the latest attempt to inject new life into the XFL brand kicks things off on Saturday, February 18.

When the new XFL season begins, there will be some familiar names for Penn State fans to keep track of. When the league kicks off, there will be five former Nittany Lions scattered across the league’s eight teams.

Former wide receiver [autotag]Saeed Blacknall[/autotag] will not be on one of those rosters despite previously being profiled by the league in an effort to showcase some players leading up to the start of the season. Blacknall was on the roster for the Vegas Vipers, but he did not appear on the team’s official roster shared by the league in an Instagram post a week and a half prior to the first games being played. But the Vipers do have a former Nittany Lion on the roster looking to make an impact this spring.

Here is a summary of where each former Penn State player is in the XFL and where they have been since their final days in a Penn State uniform.

Former Nittany Lion Robert Windsor retires from the NFL

Former Penn State Nittany Lion Robert Windsor announced his retirement from football.

In 2019, HBO converted their hit 24/7 series to the college game and followed Penn State around for a week and we all got to see the personality that was [autotag]Robert Windsor[/autotag]. Windsor was a staple on the Nittany Lions defensive front and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. Sadly his NFL career has come to a close already.

Windsor took to Twitter this week to announce that after just two seasons, his body won’t allow him to continue playing football.

In the post, Windsor says…

9 months ago, I had 2 major surgeries — one on my hip and one on my groin,…both were extensive, and the recovery process has been an arduous one. After months of rehabbing, I’m still not where I need to be to compete on the football field.

I wish I still had more to give to the game that has given me so much, but sadly things don’t last forever and my time to retire has come. I am entering this phase of life with gratitude and ready to start my journey to self-discovery and healing.

Windsor only was able to get two tackles in his short career in Indianapolis. He was on the injured reserve last season and only played in two games his rookie year in 2020. He was much more productive during his time at Penn State where he was a four-year starter.

During his four years as a starter, he totaled 120 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, and 13 sacks. He was also voted a 2nd team All-Big Ten member in 2019 but fans who saw him on the 24/7 series may remember him most notably for his admiration for fish sandwiches from The Field Burger and Tap in State College.

Windsor also graduated with two degrees from Penn State, one in Telecommunications and one in Media Studies. With his personality, those degrees may come in handy. We wish Robert Windsor a healthy and fun retirement from football as he transitions away from the game, that in his words, has been the last 17 years of his life.

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Colts DT Robert Windsor retires from NFL

The sixth-round pick in 2020 announced his retirement.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Robert Windsor announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday night.

After missing the entire 2021 season due to surgery, Windsor is calling it a career after just two seasons in the NFL.

“9 months ago, I had 2 major surgeries-one on my hip and one on my groin. Both were extensive, and the recovery process has been an arduous one. After months and months of rehabbing, I’m still not where I need to be to compete on the football field. I have been playing football for 17 years. Up
until this point, football has been my identity and how I receive my self-worth. With that being said, this has been one of my most challenging years yet. If I’ve learned anything from football, it is that pain ultimately leads to growth. This pain has forced me to look within myself and find out who I am without the game I have loved and played my whole life. I am eternally grateful for everything football has given me, and for those who have helped me grow along the way. I want to thank the Colts organization for taking a chance on me in the 2020 draft. I wish I still had more to give to the game that has given me so much, but sadly things
don’t last forever and my time to retire has come. I am entering this next phase of life with gratitude and ready to start my journey to self-discovery and healing.”

Windsor was a sixth-round pick with the Colts during the 2020 NFL draft out of Penn State. He appeared in two games while playing nine snaps on the defensive side of the ball during his rookie season.

Windsor then was placed on the injured reserve list due to a hip injury before the final roster cuts were made.

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Colts place LT Eric Fisher on PUP, DT Dayo Odeyingbo on NFI list

Colts make some injury roster moves ahead of training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts placed left tackle Eric Fisher (Achilles) on the Physically Unable to Perform list, defensive tackle Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) on the Non-football Injury list and defensive tackle Robert Windsor (undisclosed) on the injured reserve list, the team announced Sunday.

The placement of Fisher and Odeyingbo on their respective lists was to be expected. Both suffered their torn Achilles in January, almost in the span of the same week. It isn’t clear when either player will return but now that training camp is here, we should get more information on their progress.

The reason for the difference in placement of lists is due to the situation of the injuries. Fisher is placed on the PUP list because he suffered his injury during a game with the Kansas City Chiefs. Odeyingbo suffered his while training on his own away from the association with a team.

They can return at any time and will still count against the 90-man roster.

As for Windsor, this is a big surprise and one that will have implications. Being placed on the injured reserve list before the 53-man roster is finalized means that his season is over before he can even get started. It isn’t clear yet what kind of injury he sustained.

Windsor was a sixth-round pick with the Colts in the 2020 NFL draft and spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad.

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Colts place DT Robert Windsor on practice squad COVID-19 list

Another rookie goes on the COVID-19 list.

The Indianapolis Colts placed defensive tackle Robert Windsor on the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Thursday.

Windsor, a sixth-round pick from the 2020 NFL draft, is the third player to go on the practice squad COVID-19 list. He joins safety Ibraheim Campbell and center Joey Hunt on the list.

The Colts also still have rookie linebacker Jordan Glasgow on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Glasgow has missed two games since going on the list.

Windsor has spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad. He has been active for two games, recording two tackles and playing a total of nine snaps on defense and two snaps on special teams.

It isn’t clear whether Windsor tested positive or is a close contact to someone who did but he will remain on the reserve list until he’s cleared the league’s protocol.

Colts rule Ryan Kelly OUT among several roster moves

Colts make several roster moves.

The Indianapolis Colts made several roster moves on Saturday ahead of the Week 12 game against the Tennessee Titans, including downgrading center Ryan Kelly from questionable to out.

Kelly didn’t practice all week due to a neck injury he seemingly suffered during the Week 11 win over the Green Bay Packers, and now the Colts will be down several starters for this crucial matchup.

Among that were several roster moves including:

  • CB Isaiah Rodgers (knee) downgraded to questionable.
  • C Joey Hunt and DE Cassius Marsh were elevated from the practice squad as COVID-19 replacements.
  • DTs Kameron Cline and Robert Windsor were elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.
  • WR Ashton Dulin (knee) has been activated from the injured reserve list.

The Colts also placed running back Jonathan Taylor on the reserve/COVID-19 list and he will not play against the Titans on Sunday.

The Colts will be extremely short-handed when the host the Titans on Sunday, especially after the several roster moves they made ahead of the game.

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Colts elevate 3 players to the active roster

Colts make a roster move.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated three players from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced Saturday.

Among those moves includes elevating center Joey Hunt from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement. The Colts placed defensive end Denico Autry on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, and he will be unavailable to play.

The Colts also elevated defensive end Cassius Marsh and rookie defensive tackle Robert Windsor. Marsh was elevated last week against the Titans when Matthew Adams was placed on the COVID-19 list.

Windsor was a sixth-round pick with the Colts in the 2020 NFL draft and could make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

The Colts and Packers are set for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff time on FOX.

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Colts waive 2020 draft pick DT Robert Windsor

Robert Windsor is waived.

The Indianapolis Colts have waived 2020 sixth-round pick defensive tackle Robert Windsor ahead of the roster cuts on Saturday.

>>>Roster cuts tracker<<<

As the team tries to cut the roster down to 53 players, it seems the rookie interior defensive lineman is a roster casualty. Windsor had a strong camp making plays from the three-technique, but the Colts eventually waived him.

Windsor, a product of Penn State, figured to be battling for one of the final roster spots in the defensive tackle room. This is a bit of a surprise given the strong camp he had and the fact that Sheldon Day is dealing with a knee injury.

It is likely that Windsor will be back on the practice squad if he clears waivers after showing plenty of promise during his first training camp.

6 Colts who should be considered for the protected practice squad

Colts can protect up to four players on the practice squad.

As the NFL tries to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot of changes going around the league. Among them are the slight modifications to the practice squad, which will have an impact on the Indianapolis Colts in a positive way.

Under the new CBA, practice squads were already going to be increased from 10 to 12 players. Now, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to expand the practice squad to 16 players. Also, six of those players can have an unlimited number of accrued seasons—previously the rule was only two players—per Lindsay Jones of The Athletic.

The biggest change, though, comes in the form of a “protected practice squad.” Four players on the practice squad can be protected on a weekly basis from other teams trying to poach players, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

This will allows the Colts to keep some of their younger talent protected while adding depth elsewhere on the active roster.

Here’s a look at six players the Colts should consider putting on the protected practice squad:

QB Jacob Eason

Eason is the top candidate when considering players for the protected practice squad. One of the biggest challenges when projecting the 53-man roster for the Colts this season is what to do with the limited spots after having to carry three quarterbacks. Now, they don’t have to worry about that.

The Colts can carry their two quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett on the active roster while Eason continues to work as the QB3 on the protected practice squad. The biggest reason for keeping Eason on the active roster was for fear of losing him during the waiver process on his way to the practice squad.

As long as he isn’t subject to waivers on this new protected practice squad, putting Eason there is a no brainer.

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