Aug. 2, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State defensive end Brad Bars (Nashville) has signed a National Football League rookie free agent contract with the New York Giants.
Bars is the seventh player of the 2014 Penn State squad to be drafted or signed by NFL teams this spring. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected tackle Donovan Smith (Owings Mills, Md.) in the second round of the 2015 National Football League Draft. The Chicago Bears picked safety Adrian Amos (Baltimore, Md.) in the fifth round, while the Steelers took tight end Jesse James (Glassport) off the board in the fifth round. Miles Dieffenbach (Pittsburgh) signed a rookie free agent deal joined James in Pittsburgh with a rookie free agent deal, while Mike Hull (Canonsburg) and Deion Barnes (Philadelphia) signed a free agent contract with the Dolphins and Jets, respectively.
"Awesome to see Brad get a chance at the next level," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "He is a kid that battled through some injuries during his career here at Penn State, but maintained a positive attitude and worked hard each day. He was willing to do anything that we asked and made the most of his opportunities. He excelled in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-District and has his degree from Penn State."
"The one thing about Brad is that he tested well," Defensive Line Coach Sean Spencer said. "He ran a 4.78 at Pro Day. He is probably the one guy that is versatile enough that he can play an offensive position, like fullback or wingback. I believe that because of his skill set, he has a chance."
After missing all of the 2013 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, Bars bounced back to be a key contributor on special teams and defense in 2014. As a senior, Bars had 10 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for a loss. He also had a 32-yard run on a fake punt at Illinois to convert on a fourth down. Bars saw time in eight games on defense and special teams in 2012. In his first season on the field, Bars saw playing time in 12 games and delivered one of the season's biggest special teams plays when he blocked an Illinois punt in the fourth quarter. After the block, the Nittany Lions kicked a field goal to pull within four points and won the Leaders Division game, 10-7, with a touchdown with less than 70 seconds to play
Bars excelled in the classroom during his time at Penn State, graduating with his degree in finance in May 2014. He garnered Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2012 and 2014 to go along with four Academic All-Big Ten selections. Bars posted perfect 4.0 grade point averages in the 2012 fall semester and 2010 fall semester.
The Nittany Lions open the 2015 campaign on the road against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Season, partial season and single game tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale, with nearly 4,200 new season tickets having been sold. To purchase tickets or 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.