May 2, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Chicago Bears selected Penn State safety Adrian Amos (Baltimore, Md.) in the fifth round of the 2015 National Football League Draft Saturday afternoon. He joins tackle Donovan Smith (Owings Mills, Md.), who was a second round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as Penn State players selected in this year's Draft.
Amos was the No. 142 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Smith is the 38th Penn State football student-athlete to be drafted since 2006, including 17 in the first three rounds. A total of 337 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, including 36 in the first round.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Amos is the first Penn State safety to be drafted since Justin Brown went to the Rams in the fourth round of the 2008 Draft. Amos is the eighth Penn State player drafted by Chicago and is the first Penn State selected by the Bears since guard Tyler Reed in the sixth round of the 2006 Draft. Amos will join kicker Robbie Gould on the Bears roster.
"After graduating with his degree and now hearing his name called in the NFL Draft, I could not be happier for Adrian," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "He has quick feet and great ball skills that will help him on the next level. Adrian is a versatile defensive back that has worked really hard and will be a great addition to the Bears' secondary."
"Adrian has great size for a corner," Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach Bob Shoop said. "He's got versatility. During his college career, he has started as a safety, corner, the nickel and the dime. He has great football IQ and the fact that he has played for four defensive coordinators in college means he has seen different looks to the game. Chicago is getting someone who Is going to work hard and be a special player for years to come. As good of a player as Adrian is, he is an even better person. He will represent the Penn State community very well."
Amos was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a senior after recording 42 tackles (30 solo) and tying for the team lead with three interceptions. His play earned him a spot in the 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl. For his career, Amos made a team-high 38 starts, including the last 37 games. A starter at safety and cornerback the past three seasons, he was second on the team with seven pass break-ups and had 10 passes defended.
The Baltimore native grabbed his first interception of the season and fifth of his career in the first quarter in the 13-10 win at Rutgers. He had at least one interception each of his four seasons at Penn State. Amos collected seven stops, including three solo tackles, in the double overtime game against No. 13 Ohio State, helping hold the Buckeyes to 256 yards and 17 points in regulation. He had four solo tackles and three pass break-ups for a defense that limited Indiana to just 68 passing yards in the win at Bloomington. Amos wrapped up his career by making seven tackles (six solo) in the comeback win over Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
Amos graduated in three and a half years in December.
There were 28 former Nittany Lions with NFL teams during the 2014 season, again placing Penn State in the top 20 nationally among schools in producing current NFL players. Penn State was ranked No. 2 among Big Ten teams in players on 2014 NFL rosters.
For the 44th time in the Super Bowl's 49-game history, at least one Penn State alumnus was a member of one of the participating teams (18 times in last 20 years). Thirty-seven former Nittany Lions have earned a total of 54 Super Bowl rings, most recently Jordan Hill and since-retired running back Michael Robinson with Seattle last year. A total of 105 Nittany Lions have been on Super Bowl rosters.
The Nittany Lions open the 2015 campaign on the road against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 5.
Season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale, with nearly 3,000 new season tickets having been sold. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2015 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.