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Three more Nits selected

From Mirror reports

UNIVERSITY PARK — Three more Penn State football players were selected in the NFL draft on Saturday to bring the total to five picked in the 2020 three-day event.

Penn State cornerback John Reid went in the fourth round, 141st overall, to the Houston Texans), linebacker Cam Brown was picked in the sixth round, 183rd overall, by the New York Giants, and defensive lineman Robert Windsor went in the sixth round, 193rd overall, to the Indianapolis Colts.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (38th overall to the Carolina Panthers) and wide receiver KJ Hamler (46th overall to the Denver Broncos) were each selected in the second round on Friday night.

A total of 361 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL draft, which ranks tied for seventh among Division I institutions. Penn State has had 44 draft picks since 2010. A total of 26 Nittany Lions have been drafted since coach James Franklin’s arrival to the program, including 17 in the last three years.

This marked the third-straight year that Penn State has had at least five draft picks. The last time the Nittany Lions had three consecutive years of five or more picks was 1991-93.

Reid, 5-foot-10, 181 pounds from Mount Laurel, N.J., is the 35th Nittany Lion defensive back all-time to be drafted and is the first Penn State player to be drafted by the Texans. He joins former Penn State and current Texans coach Bill O’Brien in Houston.

“We are excited for John to continue his career with the Houston Texans,” Franklin said. “He played a lot of football for us, and his experience will be valuable at the next level. There’s no better student of the game in our program. He devours film and took a great amount of pride in his preparation, which will help him be a contributor for the Texans. The way he has bounced back from adversity is a great example of his toughness and perseverance. He maximized his time as a Penn State student-athlete, earning his degree in data sciences and completing internships with Intel and Blizzard Entertainment.”

Reid finished his career ranked 11th all-time at Penn State with 37 passes defended. He was a 2019 All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree by the coaches and media.

Brown, 6-5, 233 pounds from Burtonsville, Md., became the 68th Nittany Lion linebacker to be drafted and the first since 2013, when Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti were both drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Brown is the 15th Penn State player all-time to be drafted by the Giants. He joins Nittany Lion alums Saquon Barkley, Grant Haley and Austin Johnson in New York.

“We are thrilled for Cam to hear his name called by the New York Giants,” Franklin said. “Cam was a team captain for us, plays fast and attacks on each play. The sky is the limit in terms of his potential because of his ability to cover space. He has great size and length, and he has shown versatility to play multiple linebacker positions, which bodes well for him at the next level. Cam’s blitz potential is one of his many assets. Cam will represent LBU well on Sundays.”

Brown was selected as a 2019 All-Big Ten third team honoree by the coaches.

Windsor, 6-4, 285 pounds from Fond Du Lac, Wis./Fond Du Lac, is the 20th Penn State player to be drafted by Indianapolis and the first since kicker Dave Kimball in 2004.

“We are excited for Rob to continue his career with the Indianapolis Colts,” Franklin said. “He played a ton of snaps in his career for us and was very productive. Rob has a tremendous motor to go along with his knowledge of the position. He also plays with a high level of confidence because of his preparation. Rob’s hard work will help him find success with the Colts. He took full advantage of his time at Penn State, earning his degree in telecommunications.”

With Windsor’s selection, 14 Penn State defensive linemen have been NFL draft choices since 2006. Windsor is the 22nd Nittany Lion defensive tackle all-time to be drafted.

Windsor was named a 2019 All-Big Ten third team selection by the coaches.

A handful of Nittany Lions were reportedly signed to free agent deals, including Jan Johnson, linebacker, with the Texans, Blake Gillikin, punter, with the Saints, Steven Gonzalez, an offensive lineman, with the Cardinals, Nick Bowers, a tight end, with the Raiders and Garrett Taylor, a safety, with the Bills. Former Lions’ quarterback Tommy Stevens, who transferred to Mississippi State, was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round.

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