During the month of January, the NFL playoffs tends to hog the spotlight. NCAA football news is generally relegated to coaching hirings and firings and recruiting trends. What seems to be forgotten is the players in between the two levels of the sport - athletes that have begun the journey to turn pro. Saturday's East-West Shrine Game is one of the first milestones for these NFL hopefuls, and three Nittany Lions got an opportunity to show what they could bring to the field.
Check out how Andrew Quarless, Daryll Clark, and Jeremy Boone did after the jump.
Two All-American Penn State student-athletes were selected in the Women's Professional Soccer league draft on Friday. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naher was selected 11th overall by Boston and Forward Katie Schoepfer was taken by Sky Blue FC of New Jersey at 26. The two will play a role in shaping the new league, which plays games from March through August.
In this year's Major League Soccer 2010 SuperDraft, FC Dallas selected Penn State forward Jason Yeisley in the third round. He was the first Big Ten player taken and 38th overall selection of the draft. You may remember Yeisley for his blog, in which he chronicled coming back from two blown-out knees to play for the Nittany Lions. His career in MLS is not only inspiring in demonstrating that athletes can overcome critical injury, but to definitively prove that at least one of us bloggers does not spend all of his time in his mother's basement.
As Sports Editor for Onward State, it's not often that I get to sink my teeth into a story on crime. However, athletes are people too, and they sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Track and Field recruit and Penn State freshman Evonne Britton qualifies as one of those cases.
Britton was arrested after she attempted to shoplift a bottle of vitamins from McLanahan's downtown store on College Ave. But the criminal activity didn't stop there:
Officers tried to escort Britton out of the store to a police car, but as they were walking through the store, Britton let her body go limp and fell to the ground, police said.
Britton was lifted back up and taken outside, but refused to get into the back seat of the vehicle and tried to pull away, police said.
It was then Britton "donkey-kicked" Officer E.J. Kessinger, who sustained minor injuries to the lower left leg and left wrist, police said.
Ed DeChellis' team now sits at 0-4 in the Big Ten after losing to the Illini, 53-54, in Champaign.
The Lions outscored Illinois 28-23 in the first period, and held the lead for over ten minutes in the second, only to trip up with 1:16 left in the game. The go-ahead score was enough for the 12-5 Illini, as Penn State finished the game by missing four consecutive jumpers.
It's looking like it might be a long year for the NIT Champions.
What: ImprovPSU and Full Ammo Improv present RAWR: Penn State's first-ever improvisational comedy festival.
When: Starting at 8:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, January 15-16th.
Where: The Pavilion Theater.
Cost: Free!