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Penn State Football: Nittany Lions show out in all-star games

By Collin Wieder

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: (L-R) Grant Haley #15, Nick Scott #4, head coach James Franklin, Marcus Allen #2 and Troy Apke #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walk out to field arm in arm before the start of the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: (L-R) Grant Haley #15, Nick Scott #4, head coach James Franklin, Marcus Allen #2 and Troy Apke #28 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walk out to field arm in arm before the start of the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Six of Penn State football’s nine all-star selections participated in NFL showcases. So far, they’ve impressed NFL scouts and even won an MVP award.

NFL success isn’t foreign to Penn State football. The Nittany Lions regularly send all-pro players to the league. Penn State’s crop is no different this year. Saquon Barkley is the clear-cut showcase player of the group, but he’s not participating in any of the all-star games, as he is only a junior.

However, these games can give name recognition to prospects that fly under-the-radar. Some already showed out in the East-West Shrine Game and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. With the Senior Bowl fast-approaching, VBR recaps how the Nittany Lions fared this weekend.

East-West Shrine Game

Five Lions saw action in the East-West Shrine Game. However, none made a bigger impression than Jason Cabinda. The senior linebacker turned scouts eyes with some pad-popping hits. He showed quick decision-making and knifed through traffic to make tackles.

Grant Haley also came up from his corner spot to make some tackles. He didn’t make any plays in the pass game, but he showed some positives. Defensive tackle Curtis Cothran recorded a stop as well and filled gaps at times. Parker Cothren didn’t record any statistics, but he was named to the roster.

On offense, DaeSean Hamilton caught two of five targets for 42 yards including a climb-the-ladder snag from fellow Big Ten player J.T. Barrett. Penn State football’s all-time leading receiver put his track speed to the test and it paid off with a pair of first downs (Video Courtesy of Nittany Nation).

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Only one Penn State player participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, and similar to his career, Troy Apke shined when given the chance. The Nittany Lions first-year starting safety looked like a poised veteran in front of scouts. He tied for the team-high in tackles with seven, forced a fumble and picked off a deep ball, earning him MVP honors.

For a guy looking to make his mark, Apke probably had the best weekend of any Nittany Lion. He channeled a little bit of his counterpart at safety in Marcus Allen and flew around the ball (Video Courtesy of Nittany Nation).

Senior Bowl

Three other Nittany Lions finish their careers this Saturday at the Senior Bowl. Safety Marcus Allen, cornerback Christian Campbell and tight end Mike Gesicki get a chance to add to their NFL stock at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

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