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Penn State Football: Nittany Lions trio playing on Tennessee Titans defense

By Collin Wieder

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers is tackled by Austin Johnson #94 of the Tennessee Titans during the NFL International Series game between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers is tackled by Austin Johnson #94 of the Tennessee Titans during the NFL International Series game between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football is well represented in the NFL. Specifically on the Tennessee Titans’ defense with three former players in the front seven.

Entering the NFL training camp portion of the offseason, there are three names Penn State football fans will recognize on the Tennessee Titans’ defensive line. Past draftees Daquan Jones (2014 draft) and Austin Johnson (2016 draft) return for another season in Nashville, while new addition Cameron Wake joins the team via free agency.

The Titans begin training camp on July 27th. All three players expect to see significant snaps for the Titans. Jones has started for the last four years on the defensive interior and became a solid player. He’s recorded 136 tackles, 16 quarterback hits,13 tackles for loss and five sacks in that time in the team’s 3-4 defense.

The former Penn State football star, from 2011-2013, looks to build off a quality start to his career and continue solidifying a Titans defense that ranked near the top of the league for the last couple seasons. Jones is a fierce run defender and someone who blots out of the sun at six-foot-four-inches, 322-pounds.

He’ll represent Penn State well as he has been in the league the last few years ranking out as above average player recently according to Pro Football Focus. Across from Jones, another Penn Stater starts for the Titans at defensive end in Austin Johnson. As a 2016 second-round pick, Johnson puts Nittany Lion bookends on Tennessee’s defensive line.

Although he’s struggled to find his way into the starting lineup for three years, he did see the most action of his career in 2019. Johnson started nine of the 16 games he appeared in, recording 22 tackles and two pass deflections. Linked up with Jones, these two helped the defense that ranked third in the NFL by giving up only 18.8 points-per-game.

Those two are paired with an all-time NFL great from the Penn State football program in Wake. The former, longtime Dolphin played 10 years for Miami and produced at a hall of fame level, racking up 360 total tackles, 98 sacks and 22 forced fumbles.

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Despite entering his 15th season of pro football, including his time in the Canadian Football League, he can still add more pass rush ability to the Titans. Just last year in a reduced role, Wake recorded six sacks.

Going into the 2019 season, those three give Nittany Lion fans a reason to watch or at least keep an eye on the Tennessee Titans this year. They not only have a chance to improve the Penn State pro football footprint but aid recruiting, specifically on the defensive line where the team continues to succeed in 2019.

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