Always for the Glory: NFL Update Week 13

There are still 29 former Nittany Lions currently on NFL rosters, including a few who are making quite the impression on their teams.

From Aaron Maybin making a tackle (holy cow!) to Tamba Hali and Cameron Wake tearing up the AFC, and a few more pleasant surprises in between. It's all in this week's Always For The Glory update.

NFC North

Chicago Bears - Chicago Bears 31, Philadelphia Eagles 26

This week: Chicago @ Detroit, 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX.

Anthony Adams (1999-02), DT
Adams started at nose tackle for the Bears, forcing a Michael Vick fumble while recording a sack for a loss of nine yards in the third quarter.

Robbie Gould (2001-04), K
Gould was perfect on the day, going 1-for-1 on field goal attempts, making a key 23-yarder late in the third quarter, and 4-for-4 on PATs.

Always for the Glory: NFL Update Week 7

Kerry Collins (Photo: SI.com)

Well it was finally a good weekend for the current Nittany Lions after beating Minnesota, and the Penn State alums had a solid one as well. One of the great quarterbacks in the school's history got a chance to show he still has what it takes in his 16th season,a few defensive linemen wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks, and a couple graduates from Linebacker-U were paid homage to their school's namesake with solid days as well.

QB Kerry Collins, Panthers

Starting in place of the injured Vince Young, Collins completed 17 of 31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdown passes. He is the only current NFL quarterback to hail from Happy Valley and is continuing to succeed almost two decades after that magical 1994 season.

Linkbacker U is getting to know the Quarterbacks

Dissecting the Competition

We get it. Two freshmen quarterbacks. Three scramblers. One walk-on. None of which excite the Penn State faithful. But what about beyond the game...once they take their helmets and jerseys off and are actual people. StateCollege.com talked to each of the quarterbacks (wonder who their connection was) and found out a little more about them.

Kudos to you Mr. Newsome. The Goofy Movie is a phenomenal film.

No where to go but up....Right?

The special teams for Penn State last season was..well.. special. And that was WITH Jeremy Boone. When Collin Wagner is one of the only sure things for the special team unit, you know there are going to be problems.

Audrey Snyder of the Daily Collegian broke down the current state of affairs in the special teams unit, telling us a couple things. Wagner is expanding his range, the punting situation is still up in the air, and at least one member of the kick return unit from a year ago can now focus on his duties on offense.

"We have some guys that can step up and do the return game and stuff like that," Royster said. "I doubt I'll be too involved with that, but definitely catching the ball out of the backfield and trying to split out. I think we'll try and get into that."

Basketball in July

Thankfully basketball season is still a long way away, but the mass exodus at the end of last year opened up many a spot on the roster, and so far so good for their replacements, Talor Battle told the Pitt Stop

Not sure whether this is simply PR on Battle's part or not, but I guess when Battle has good things to say about his teammates, that's good to hear on a few different levels.

Speaking of Basketball, We've Got Company.

Jim Delaney was just too kind. He knew that us Penn State basketball faithful were getting lonely in the Big Ten cellar. So he invited Nebraska to give the Lions a run for their money on the court. Black Shoe Diaries talked with Brian from Corn Nation to discuss the newest addition to Big Ten basketball.

"Brian: Again, we've been competitive. We just haven't had the wins to show for it. We won the league tournament in '94, and have a handful of upsets over Missouri and Kansas when they were ranked in the top 2 or 3. Case in point, we led Kansas in the second half during both games last year, but couldn't pull them out in the end.

Nebraska will be more competitive in the Big 10. We've had a few rough seasons, but our youth is very talented and after last season...experienced. Keep in mind, Nebraska led the Big 12 in scoring defense for the majority of the year in 2009-10. We fit the Big 10's style of play a bit better than the Big 12. I'd say that Nebraska will compare to an Iowa or Minnesota in terms of what they are capable of."

That pre-season optimism sounds all too familiar. I'm not buying it.

Checking in on our Old Friends

They won't be running out of the Beaver Stadium tunnel this season but they're still Lions in our book.

Bleeding Green Nation reports that A.Q. Shipley is doing well in the first team offense while Jamaal Jackson is out, Micky Shuler signs with the Vikings, and PackersNews.com says Andrew Quarless still has his work cut out for him.

“We’re probably going to have a lot of conversations like we had a few years ago (about Finley) where we have a young guy who’s got a long way to go,” McAdoo said of Quarless. “Really there’s not a lot to talk about right now. He’s a young man that has to learn how to practice the right way, he’s got to learn how to keep his pads down, he’s got to learn the offense.”

At Least not all Conferences Suck at Math...

Finally a conference that has as many teams as it claims to have. The Pac 10 added two more teams in Colorado and Utah, and just recently changed its conference name to indicate such. What a novel concept huh? Doesn't seem the Big 10 or Big 12 grasp this higher level of thinking.

Linkbacker U enjoyed being bigger while it lasted

The Bigger House... The official numbers came out this week, and it looks like Beaver Stadium's one-year reign as the biggest stadium in college football has come to an end. Michigan Stadium will reclaim the title this fall:

"The Big House is back.

When the Unviersity [sic] of Michigan football team takes the field this fall, it will once again be in front of the largest crowd in the nation.

That's because with new stadium renovations scheduled to be completed, the school announced that the stadium's capacity will be 109,901.

That number surpasses that of Penn State's Beaver Stadium.

MGoBlog's Tim has a nice write-up on today's open house, which he attended, and came away with some pretty good info on the future of Michigan Stadium expansion.

"The Athletic Department is already discussing further expansion of the stadium, but the scoreboards are going to be the next part of the stadium improved.

Brandon said he hopes that the existing architecture of the scoreboards can be maintained (speculation - so as to not waste money when stadium expansion forces them to move within a few years?), but it's time for them to be upgraded. The Athletic Department will explore all possible revenue streams to pay for that project, though there are currently no plans for in-stadium advertising."

You have to hand it to Michigan. Arrogant as all hell, at least they stick to their guns when it comes to maintaining tradition.

Quarless signs with Packers... In a bit of NFL news, former PSU tight end Andrew Quarless, drafted by the Green Bay Packers this past April, has been signed to a rookie contract. Part of the Packers.com series "Getting To Know A Draft Pick," Quarless really opened up about his football career, including this nugget about another former Nittany Lion:

Was there a football player you idolized growing up? Why him?

I wouldn't say I idolized a football player growing up. I think coming into college, Paul Posluszny (former linebacker for Penn State and current linebacker for the Buffalo Bills), watching the way he worked. He laid flat out. They used to call him a machine, like nothing fazed him. Whether it was running sprints, lifting weights, I really was amazed coming out of high school watching the way the older guys worked, especially him. It was amazing to me. That is another thing, I couldn't block him my freshman year. He was so elusive at the linebacker position I couldn't even touch him.

You really have to feel great for Quarless. For a while in the middle of his Penn State days, he was teetering on the edge. He had two options, two paths. He chose the right one.

The next Bobby Engram? It looks like Deon Butler, the walk-on defensive back turned all-time Penn State receptions leader, is doing just swell in Seattle. Don't believe me, ask head coach Pete Carroll:

Royster ready to roll... I'll admit, as a fan, I was disappointed to see Evan Royster standing on the sidelines during the Blue-White Game this past April. But also as a fan who also wants Penn State to win games this fall, I couldn't have been more pleased. But winning games won't be the only thing in the cards for Royster this fall. Just as quietly as he runs over, around, and through defenses, the rising redshirt senior tailback is only 481 yards from breaking Curt Warner's all-time Penn State rushing record. To Royster the focus isn't on the record, but getting himself prepared to be able to break that record this fall. The Collegian had the story:

"But, Royster's decision to return for his final season was never completely dictated by a chance to shatter records. It was about coming back, helping his team improve and preparing for his professional future, he said.

"What I've heard also is that the biggest day of my life is that combine," Royster said. "So it's something that I will train hard for, and actually after the season's done, I'll get right into it and try to make myself the best I can be for that."

Oh yeah, and how about Warner? Why, he's only going to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

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Quarless, Shuler and Hull round out Penn State draft class

Andrew Quarless (10) will be a Green Bay Packer.

While many Penn State fans were enjoying live Nittany Lion football at the Blue-White Game, the final rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft were wrapping up in New York City. It was a very good draft for Penn State, as three more Nittany Lions were taken.

Andrew Quarless was drafted in the fifth round, No. 154 overall, by the Green Bay Packers. Even with all his off-field and maturity problems over the years, he has definitely vindicated himself with a fantastic senior campaign at Penn State, and now as a Green Bay Packer.

Ready to face Quarless as an NFC North rival, Mickey Shuler was selected in round seven, No. 214 overall, by the Minnesota Vikings. This came as a slight surprise, as Shuler never claimed the No. 1 tight end spot at Penn State. But he has great upside, and will be sure to contribute at the next level.

The final Nittany Lion drafted this year was former walk-on Josh Hull. It's a great story of a typical Penn State football player. The St. Louis Rams took Hull with the next-to-last pick, No. 254 overall, in the seventh round. Hull will have a great shot to make the practice team, as he's a hard worker and smart kid.

Word late tonight is that Daryll Clark has been picked up as a free agent. We'll have more on that in a little while. So check back soon.

Congratulations to all the Nittany Lions selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. Good luck, and we know you'll make the Nittany Nation proud!

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