It was a big week at University Park.
A couple of Penn State players were selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, which was held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in New York City.
Let’s take a closer look at the two Nittany Lions selected.
Two for the Show
When the dust settled from the 2011 NFL Draft, just two Penn Staters were selected. Center Stefen Wisniewski was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the second round, while running back Evan Royster went to the Washington Redskins in the sixth round. There were a total of 254 players taken in the draft.
Royster’s best season at Penn State was 2010, when he rushed for 1,169 yards and scored eight touchdowns – two on pass receptions. Despite a disappointing senior season, he finished his PSU career as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,932 yards. However, many NFL scouts said that Royster lacks the breakaway speed to be a No. 1 back.
However, Royster may find himself in a good situation in Washington. It appears that the end is near for Redskin running back Clinton Portis, who is a 10-year vet with several 1,000-yard seasons under his belt. That means Royster will compete for the starting job with Ryan Torain and fourth-round pick Roy Helu of Nebraska.
It didn’t take long for Washington coach Mike Shanahan to compare Royster to a former Pro Bowler that he coached in Denver.
“Coach Shanahan, he said to me when they drafted me that I remind him of Terrell Davis,” Royster told Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Royster was the 21st running back selected.
As for Wisniewski, he went to the Oakland Raiders, where the Wisniewski name is well known. His uncle, Steve, played for the Raiders when Wisniewski was a youngster. Now, Wisniewski will be coached by his uncle, who is the offensive line coach in Oakland.
The Raiders did not have a first-round pick, so they grabbed Wisniewski with their second-round pick. Wisniewski wound up being the 48th pick overall.
“I am thrilled to be going to the Raiders and really pumped to have the chance to play for Steve. I guess now I get to wear a Wisniewski jersey, but it will be mine,” Wisniewski told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Steve obviously knows what it takes to be a great offensive lineman … Everyone’s thrilled. My dad, obviously, knows I’m in good hands playing for Steve. I mean, we grew up Raiders fans, grew up cheering for Steve. It just feels right.”
Wisniewski will likely be a center for the Raiders.
At 6-3, 313 pounds, Wisniewski was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions. He was a three-time Academic All-American and was twice selected as an All-Big Ten Conference choice. While at PSU, Wisniewski made a total of 39 career starts. He played at right guard in 2008 and 2010. His lone year at center came in 2009.
Football runs in the blood in the Wisniewski family. In addition to his uncle, Steve, his father, Leo also played in the NFL. After playing at PSU, Leo went on to a short stint with the Baltimore and then Indianapolis Colts for three seasons.
Interestingly enough, all three men were second-round selections.
“It’s pretty cool that we all were drafted in the second round,” Stefen said. “They both were the first picks of the second round. I was a little lower, but we’re a very blessed family.”
Morelli OnLion Thought of the Day: On Sunday night, Penn State students stormed Beaver Canyon after it was announced that the United States had killed Osama bin Laden. It had been a while since the students had a chance to revel in a victory. After all, the Penn State football and basketball teams certainly have given them no reason to celebrate lately. In any event, it was nice to get to see them celebrating a victory – even if it wasn’t provided by the Nittany Lions.
Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics for gantnews.com. He’s also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. Also, be sure to check out Morelli OnLion on Facebook!