UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A total of 43 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.
With the regular season now wrapped up, Penn State has 21 former players who are a part of 12 NFL playoff organizations.
Playoff teams with Nittany Lions featured are as follows: 49ers (S Ji'Ayir Brown, DT Kevin Givens), Bills (OL Ran Bates, DL DaQuan Jones, OL Connor McGovern), Buccaneers (WR Chris Godwin), Chiefs (OT Donovan Smith), Cowboys (LB Micah Parsons), Dolphins (TE Nick Bowers), Eagles (LB Brandon Smith), Lions (FB Jason Cabinda), Packers (QB Sean Clifford, OL Rasheed Walker), Ravens (DE Odafe Oweh, P Jordan Stout, WR Dan Chisena), Steelers (TE Pat Freiermuth, CB Joey Porter Jr., WR Allen Robinson II), Texans (S Adrian Amos, OL Juice Scruggs).
NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday
Game 1 (4:30 p.m. – NBC): Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans
Nittany Lions featured: S Adrian Amos (Texans), OL Juice Scruggs (Texans)
Game 2 (8:15 p.m. – Peacock): Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs
Nittany Lions featured: TE Nick Bowers (Dolphins), OT Donovan Smith (Chiefs)
Sunday
Game 1 (1 p.m. – CBS): Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
Nittany Lions featured: TE Pat Freiermuth (Steelers), CB Joey Porter Jr. (Steelers), WR Allen Robinson II (Steelers), OL Ryan Bates (Bills), DL DaQuan Jones (Bills), OL Connor McGovern (Bills)
Game 2 (4:30 p.m. – FOX): Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
Nittany Lions featured: QB Sean Clifford (Packers), OL Rasheed Walker (Packers), LB Micah Parsons (Cowboys)
Game 3 (8:00 p.m. – NBC): Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
Nittany Lions featured: FB Jason Cabinda (Lions)
Monday
Game 1 (8:15 p.m. – ESPN/ABC/ESPN+): Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nittany Lions featured: LB Brandon Smith (Eagles), WR Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
WEEK 18 RECAP
Saquon Barkley wrapped up his 2023 campaign with a two-touchdown game in week 18. Chris Godwin led the Tampa Bay pass catchers with six grabs for 51 yards, helping his team secure a playoff berth. Defensively, Yetur Gross-Matos recorded a sack in his final game of the season. On special teams, Blake Gillikin finished his outstanding season with Arizona ranking inside the top 10 in the NFL in both average yards per punt (fourth) and net punting (eighth).
Parsons concluded his stellar defensive season inside the top 10 in the NFL in both sacks and tackles for loss. He ranked sixth in the league with 18 tackles for loss and tied for eighth in the NFL with 14.0 sacks. Recently, Parsons was rewarded for his efforts by being selected to the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl.
Here's how these former Nittany Lion greats fared in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Adrian Amos (2011-14) S, Houston Texans
Texans 23, Colts 19
- Amos saw action on defense and special teams.
Saquon Barkley (2015-17) RB, New York Giants
Giants 27, Eagles 10
- Barkley rushed 18 times for 46 yards and two touchdowns.
- He added two catches for 51 yards, including a 46-yard catch-and-run.
- The running back finished with 962 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 14 games this season.
Ryan Bates (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 21, Dolphins 14
- Bates saw action on special teams.
Nick Bowers (2018-19) TE, Miami Dolphins
Bills 21, Dolphins 14
- Bowers is on Miami's practice squad.
Jaquan Brisker (2019-21) S, Chicago Bears
Packers 17, Bears 9
Brisker racked up eight tackles (4 solo), including a tackle for loss, to go along with a fumble recovery.
Cam Brown (2016-19) LB, New York Giants
Giants 27, Eagles 10
- Brown saw action on special teams.
Ji'Ayir Brown (2020-22) S, San Francisco 49ers
Rams 21, 49ers 20
- Brown was inactive.
Jason Cabinda (2014-17) FB, Detroit Lions
Lions 30, Vikings 20
- Cabinda is on Detroit's practice squad.
Tariq Castro-Fields (2017-21) CB, Washington Commanders
Cowboys 38, Commanders 10
- Castro-Fields was active but did not see action.
Dan Chisena (2015-19) WR, Baltimore Ravens
- Chisena saw action on special teams for the Arizona Cardinals in their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Jan. 7.
- The wideout was released by the Cardinals on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and was signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Sean Clifford (2017-22) QB, Green Bay Packers
Packers 17, Bears 9
- Clifford was active but did not see action.
Jahan Dotson (2018-21) WR, Washington Commanders
Cowboys 38, Commanders 10
- Dotson caught two passes for 17 yards.
Arnold Ebiketie (2021) DE, Atlanta Falcons
Saints 48, Falcons 17
- Ebiketie totaled three tackles (1 solo) and added a quarterback hit.
Pat Freiermuth (2018-20) TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 17, Ravens 10
- Freiermuth caught two passes for 21 yards.
Will Fries (2017-20) OL, Indianapolis Colts
Texans 23, Colts 19
- Fries made his 17th start of the season on the Colts' offensive line.
Mike Gesicki (2014-17) TE, New England Patriots
Jets 17, Patriots 3
- Gesicki caught one pass for three yards.
Blake Gillikin (2016-19) P, Arizona Cardinals
Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20
- Gillikin punted three times for 152 yards, averaging 50.7 yards per punt.
- He finished fourth in the NFL in yards-per-punt average this season at 50.6.
- Gillikin ranked eighth in the NFL in net punting with a 43.6 net yards-per-boot.
Kevin Givens (2016-18) DT, San Francisco 49ers
Rams 21, 49ers 20
- Givens made three tackles (2 solo) and added a quarterback hit.
Chris Godwin (2014-16) WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0
- Godwin caught six passes for 51 yards and ran the ball one time for four yards.
Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19) DE, Carolina Panthers
Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0
- Gross-Matos posted five tackles (4 solo), including a sack and a tackle for loss, while also adding a quarterback hit.
KJ Hamler (2017-2019) WR, Indianapolis Colts
Texans 23, Colts 19
- Hamler is on Indianapolis' practice squad.
Austin Johnson (2013-15) DT, Los Angeles Chargers
Chiefs 13, Chargers 12
- Johnson made a solo stop.
DaQuan Jones (2010-13) DL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 21, Dolphins 14
- Jones made four tackles (2 solo), including a tackle for loss.
Jesse Luketa (2018-21) LB, Arizona Cardinals
Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20
- Luketa saw action on defense and special teams.
Connor McGovern (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
Bills 21, Dolphins 14
- McGovern made his 17th start of the season on the offensive line in the Bills' fifth consecutive win heading into the postseason.
PJ Mustipher (2018-22) DL, New Orleans Saints
Saints 48, Falcons 17
- Mustipher saw action on defense.
Amani Oruwariye (2015-18) CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Titans 28, Jaguars 20
- Oruwariye is on Jacksonville's practice squad.
Odafe Oweh (2019-20) DE, Baltimore Ravens
Steelers 17, Ravens 10
- Oweh saw action on defense.
Micah Parsons (2018-19) LB, Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys 38, Commanders 10
- Parsons posted five tackles (4 solo), including a sack and a tackle for loss and added a quarterback hit.
- He finished the season sixth in the NFL with 18 tackles for loss.
- Parsons completed his season tied for seventh in the NFL with 14.0 sacks.
Joey Porter Jr. (2019-22) CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 17, Ravens 10
- Porter made his 11th straight start at cornerback for the Steelers.
Allen Robinson II (2011-13) WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers 17, Ravens 10
- Robinson saw one target in the passing game.
Miles Sanders (2016-18) RB, Carolina Panthers
Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0
- Sanders toted the ball three times for 18 yards.
Nick Scott (2015-18) S, Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals 31, Browns 14
- Scott posted a solo tackle.
Juice Scruggs (2018-22) OL, Houston Texans
Texans 23, Colts 19
- Scruggs made his sixth-straight start, playing 100 percent of the offensive snaps for the Texans.
Brandon Smith (2019-21) LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Giants 27, Eagles 10
- Smith is on Philadelphia's practice squad.
Donovan Smith (2012-14) OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs 13, Chargers 12
- Smith was inactive.
Chris Stoll (2017-22) LS, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20
- Stoll saw action on special teams as Seattle's primary long snapper.
Jordan Stout (2019-21) P, Baltimore Ravens
Steelers 17, Ravens 10
- Stout punted seven times for 377 yards, averaging 53.9 yards per punt.
- He dropped one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Brenton Strange (2019-22) TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Titans 28, Jaguars 20
- Strange saw action on offense and special teams.
Jonathan Sutherland (2017-22) S, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20
- Sutherland is on Seattle's practice squad.
Mitchell Tinsley (2022) WR, Washington Commanders
Cowboys 38, Commanders 10
- Tinsley saw action on special teams.
Rasheed Walker (2019-21) OL, Green Bay Packers
Packers 17, Bears 9
- Walker made his 15th start of the season for the Packers on the offensive line, playing 100 percent of the offensive snaps in the Packers' third-straight win.
Parker Washington (2020-22) WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Titans 28, Jaguars 20
- Washington caught one pass for 11 yards and returned two punts for 19 total yards.
The 2024 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.