Penn State Football: Mike Hull a undervalued member of Linebacker U
A current trend is undrafted Penn State football linebackers succeeding at the next level. Mike Hull stands out as one of the best in that group.
Penn State football has always been “Linebacker U”, but over the last few seasons, the NFL has picked up a few of the program’s star LBs after the draft concludes. Linebackers such as Brandon Bell, Jason Cabinda and Mike Hull made rosters and stayed there despite not being selected in the draft.
It’s a testament to the unit’s will to compete and fight no matter what draft projections might say. Hull started the trend, signing with the Miami Dolphins after the 2015 NFL Draft.
Hull exited Penn State with a highly productive career that featured 292 career tackles. He played as the team’s fourth linebacker in his sophomore season and started for the team the last two seasons. In his senior season, he led the team in stops, logging 138. His impressive tackle numbers and instincts to find the football didn’t net him a lot of interest in the draft though.
A 6-feet, 232-pound frame didn’t wow scouts as an inside linebacker. As one of the those players that didn’t pass the eye test, he was still slated to still get selected late according to NFL.com – that didn’t happen.
Hull went undrafted but found an immediate home in Miami where he’s stayed ever since. In fact, he re-signed with the Dolphins in the offseason after four years with the franchise. A major reason why is his ability to help the team as a special teamer or as a fill-in linebacker.
He’s racked up 78 total tackles and an interception, playing in a reserve role. Even though he missed the first eight games of the 2018 season, Miami sees something in him, considering the team brought him back.
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Hull leads a pack of Penn State linebackers that were told they weren’t good enough to play at the next level. They’ve defied a lot of expectations. Since his success story in Miami, Bell and Cabinda found NFL homes and are making impacts on special teams and defense occasionally. A badge of honor that Penn State can carry.