Four Penn State Football Alumni To Play In East-West Shrine Bowl
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Four Penn State football players will compete in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday. Caedan Wallace, Hunter Nourzad, Curtis Jacobs, and Daequan Hardy will all represent the Nittany Lions in their final game before the NFL Draft.
Wallace spent five seasons with Penn State, entering as a member of the recruiting Class of 2019. The offensive lineman appeared in four games his freshman year but became the team’s starting right tackle by the following season. He started in all but four games of his collegiate career and earned reps at guard and center along the way.
Nourzad spent his last two seasons of a six-year collegiate career with Penn State after transferring from Cornell. In 2022, Nourzad backed up Juice Scruggs at center and appeared at center and guard 11 times throughout the season. When Scruggs departed Penn State, Nourzad started every game for the Nittany Lions. Prior to Penn State, Nourzad started 20 games at right tackle for Cornell.
Jacobs played for Penn State for four seasons and was an important linebacker throughout his career. In a shortened 2020 season, Jacobs still appeared in eight games and made six tackles. He was a consistent starter the next season, making 12 appearances and 11 starts in 2021 as he recorded 61 tackles, three sacks, and an intersection. Over his final two seasons, Jacobs started almost every game at linebacker as he notched 60 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and three fumble recoveries.
Like Wallace, Hardy played for Penn State for five years. His development at cornerback was slightly slower, only appearing in two games his freshman year, though he played in all nine games his sophomore year. During the 2021 season, Hardy made one start in 13 appearances before starting in all 13 games in 2022 as the team’s top nickel cornerback. During his final season, Hardy took on his role as cornerback and a role as the team’s top punt returner. His two punt returns for touchdowns were good enough for the best in the country, and because they both came against UMass, he set a school record as the first player with two punts returned for a touchdown in a single game.
The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 1, in Dallas, Texas, and will be broadcast on NFL+ and the NFL Network.
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