UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A total of 44 Penn State football alumni are populating the rosters of 25 National Football League organizations. The Nittany Lions annually rank among the top 20 programs nationally in producing players in the NFL.
Saquon Barkley toted the ball 23 times for 80 yards and a touchdown against Philadelphia as the focal point of New York's offense. Mike Gesicki also posted his second touchdown of the season for New England. Defensively, Micah Parsons collected seven tackles, including a half-sack, for Dallas, and PJ Mustipher recorded his first NFL tackles for New Orleans. On special teams, Blake Gillikin continued to impress as Arizona's punter, as the third-year pro is fourth in the NFL in yards-per-punt average and eighth in the league in net punting.
After adding a half-sack this week, Parsons is tied for seventh in the NFL with 13.0 sacks and is tied for ninth in the league with 15 tackles for loss through week 16 of the NFL season.
Each week throughout the year, GoPSUSports.com provides updates on the feats of these former Nittany Lion greats.
Adrian Amos (2011-14) S, Houston Texans
Browns 36, Texans 22
- Made four tackles (3 solo).
Saquon Barkley (2015-17) RB, New York Giants
Eagles 33, Giants 25
- Rushed 23 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.
- Added three catches for four yards.
Ryan Bates (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 24, Chargers 22
- Saw action on special teams.
Nick Bowers (2018-19) TE, Miami Dolphins
Dolphins 22, Cowboys 20
- Bowers is on Miami's practice squad.
Jaquan Brisker (2019-21) S, Chicago Bears
Bears 27, Cardinals 16
- Collected seven tackles (4 solo), including a tackle for loss.
- Defended a pass.
Cam Brown (2016-19) LB, New York Giants
Eagles 33, Giants 25
- Made a solo tackle.
Ji'Ayir Brown (2020-22) S, San Francisco 49ers
Ravens 33, 49ers 19
- Totaled five tackles (3 solo).
Jason Cabinda (2014-17) FB, Detroit Lions
Lions 30, Vikings 24
- Is on injured reserve.
Tariq Castro-Fields (2017-21) CB, Washington Commanders
Jets 30, Commanders 28
- Played on special teams, seeing 17 snaps in the game.
Dan Chisena (2015-19) WR, Arizona Cardinals
Bears 27, Cardinals 16
- Is on the Cardinals' practice squad.
Sean Clifford (2017-22) QB, Green Bay Packers
Packers 33, Panthers 30
- Active, but did not see action.
Jahan Dotson (2018-21) WR, Washington Commanders
Jets 30, Commanders 28
- Caught two passes for 31 yards.
Arnold Ebiketie (2021) DE, Atlanta Falcons
Falcons 29, Colts 10
- Recorded a half-sack and three quarterback hits.
Pat Freiermuth (2018-20) TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 34, Bengals 11
- Made his eighth start of the season at tight end for the Steelers.
Will Fries (2017-20) OL, Indianapolis Colts
Falcons 29, Colts 10
- Made his 14th start of the season on the offensive line, playing 100 percent of the offensive snaps.
Mike Gesicki (2014-17) TE, New England Patriots
Patriots 26, Broncos 23
- Caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Blake Gillikin (2016-19) P, Arizona Cardinals
Bears 27, Cardinals 16
- Punted six times for 313 yards, averaging 52.2 yards per punt.
- Booted a 77-yarder for his longest punt of the day.
- Landed one punt inside the 20-yard line.
- Fourth in the NFL in yards-per-punt average with 50.6.
- Eighth in the NFL in net punting with a 43.4 net yards-per-boot.
Kevin Givens (2016-18) DT, San Francisco 49ers
Ravens 33, 49ers 19
- Posted three tackles (1 solo).
Chris Godwin (2014-16) WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12
- Caught six passes for 78 yards on a team-high 11 targets.
- Rushed one time.
Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19) DE, Carolina Panthers
Packers 33, Panthers 30
- Made four tackles (1 solo).
KJ Hamler (2017-2019) WR, Indianapolis Colts
Falcons 29, Colts 10
- Hamler is on Indianapolis' practice squad.
Austin Johnson (2013-15) DT, Los Angeles Chargers
Bills 24, Chargers 22
- Made five tackles (4 solo), including a tackle for loss.
DaQuan Jones (2010-13) DL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 24, Chargers 22
- Is on injured reserve.
Jesse Luketa (2018-21) LB, Arizona Cardinals
Bears 27, Cardinals 16
- Assisted on one tackle.
Connor McGovern (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 24, Chargers 22
- Made his 15th start of the season on the offensive line in the Bills' third-straight win.
Trace McSorley (2014-2018) QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 34, Bengals 11
- McSorley is on Pittsburgh's practice squad.
PJ Mustipher (2018-22) DL, New Orleans Saints
Rams 30, Saints 22
- Mustipher logged his first NFL tackles, assisting on three stops against the Rams.
Amani Oruwariye (2015-18) CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12
- Oruwariye is on Jacksonville's practice squad.
Odafe Oweh (2019-20) DE, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens 33, 49ers 19
- Saw action on defense.
Micah Parsons (2018-19) LB, Dallas Cowboys
Dolphins 22, Cowboys 20
- Made seven tackles (2 solo), including a half-sack.
- Added three quarterback hits.
- Tied for seventh in the NFL with 13.0 sacks.
- Tied for ninth in the NFL with 15 tackles for loss.
Joey Porter Jr. (2019-22) CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 34, Bengals 11
- Made two solo stops.
- Defended a pass.
Allen Robinson II (2011-13) WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 34, Bengals 11
- Caught four passes for 36 yards.
Miles Sanders (2016-18) RB, Carolina Panthers
Packers 33, Panthers 30
- Toted the ball three times for three yards.
- Caught one pass for five yards.
Nick Scott (2015-18) S, Cincinnati Bengals
Steelers 34, Bengals 11
- Made a solo tackle.
Juice Scruggs (2018-22) OL, Houston Texans
Browns 36, Texans 22
- Made his fourth-straight start, playing 100 percent of the offensive snaps for the Texans.
Brandon Smith (2019-21) LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles 33, Giants 25
- Smith is on Philadelphia's practice squad.
Donovan Smith (2012-14) OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Raiders 20, Chiefs 14
- Was inactive.
Chris Stoll (2017-22) LS, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks 20, Titans 17
- Saw action on special teams as Seattle's primary long snapper.
Jordan Stout (2019-21) P, Baltimore Ravens
Ravens 33, 49ers 19
- Punted three times for 130 yards, including a 56-yard long punt.
- Landed two punts inside the 20-yard line.
Brenton Strange (2019-22) TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12
- Saw action on offense and special teams.
Jonathan Sutherland (2017-22) S, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks 20, Titans 17
- Is on Seattle's practice squad.
Mitchell Tinsley (2022) WR, Washington Commanders
Jets 30, Commanders 28
- Was inactive.
Rasheed Walker (2019-21) OL, Green Bay Packers
Packers 33, Panthers 30
- Made his 13th start of the season for the Packers on the offensive line.
Parker Washington (2020-22) WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12
- Caught two passes for 19 yards.
The No. 10 Nittany Lions will take on No. 11 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on December 30 at noon in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The 2023 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.