Penn State linebackers in NFL cover Cameron Brown, Carl Nassib, Micah Parsons, Mike Hull, Paul Posluszny, Shane Conlan, and Navarro Bowman.
Pen State Nittany Lions is a college football team that plays for the Pennsylvania State University. As a member of the Big Ten Conference, the Nittany Lions participate in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
The team was established in 1887 and was one of the most successful teams in history. On November 12, 1881, the first known game in Penn State football history was played.
They have a record of winning two National Championships in 1982 and 1986, and four Big Ten Conference Championships from 1994 to 2016.
The most intimidating factor is that they have the record of 13 undefeated seasons from 1887 to 1994. Moreover, they have appeared in 52 College Bowl games with a post-season bowl record of 31-19-2.
Best Pen State Linebackers in NFL
| Player Name | Team |
| Jack Ham | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Navorro Bowman | San Francisco 49ers |
| Stean Lee | Dallas Cowboys |
| Shane Conlan | Buffalo Bills |
| Dan Connor | Carolina Panthers |
| Paul Posluszny | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Tamba Hali | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Matt Millen | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Cameron Wake | Miami Dolphins |
| Bryan Scott | Buffalo Bills |
Cameron Brown – New York Giants
Cameron Brown was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played 15 games in his rookie season for the Giants.
Brown played 51 games at Penn State from 2016 to 2019 in his college career. There he served as a captain with 72 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 2 sacks, and defended 4 passes achieving him Third-team All-Big Ten Honors in 2019.
He has a weighted Career Average of 3. He has played 44 games over his career. Moreover, Brown has grown into a core player for the Giants appearing in all 17 games last season and playing 85% of the games.
He has made 27 combined tackles for the Giants to date, with 14 being solo ones. He hasn’t contributed any sacks as of the 2023 season.
He was born on 1 April 1998, in Maryland’s Silver Spring. He started his career as a LineBacker at James Hubert Blake High School. After graduation, he enrolled at Penn State in 2016.
Carl Nassib – Las Vegas Raiders
Carl Nassib appeared in the NFL for seven seasons as a Linebacker from Penn State Nittany Lions. He started his career with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Nassib started his professional career after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has played more than 99 NFL games over his entire career.
He has played for several NFL teams including the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Las Vegas Raiders from 2016 to 2022.
The former Nittany Lion started his College career as an LB in 2013. He played over 10 games under coach Bill O’Brien.
Career Highlights and Awards Received in the year 2015
- Lombardi Award
- Lott Trophy
- Ted Hendricks Award
- Nagurski – Woodson Defensive Player of the Year
- Unanimous All American
- First – Team All-Big Ten
Nassib signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 27, 2020, with $16.75 million as a bonus. He achieved his first career interception in a 37-12 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 10 of the 2020 season.
Moreover, Nassib started his second stint career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 16, 2022. He signed for a year dealing $1.5 million with a $152,500 signing bonus.
Over his entire career, Carl was able to achieve 187 total tackles. He made 25.5 Sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries, 19 pass deflections, and a single interception.
He last appeared in the 2022 season. He announced his retirement from the NFL team in September of 2023.
Micah Parsons – Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parson plays as an Linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. He got selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft.
During his College football at Pen State, he was recognized as All-American, the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP as a sophomore in 2019.
In 2018, Parsons played in one of the Nittany Lions’ 13 games as a freshman. He managed to make 82 tackles, putting him in first place on the team. He contributed 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 10 Quarterback pressures, and 2 forced fumbles.
After being selected in the NFL Draft, Parson made a deal worth $17 million on 9 June 2021. He was able to lend a victory to the team in the Week 8 match against the Vikings, contributing 11 tackles.
In the fifth week of the 2022 season, Parson achieved 2 Sacks, 5 tackles, and a tackle for loss contributing to a 22-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Moreover, he acquired a 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears with a solid 49-20 win.
Micah is an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, and a 2-time First-team All-Pro. He achieved the Pro Bowls twice in the same year followed by a Butkus trophy and PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2021.
He has accomplished 152 Tackles, 27.5 Sacks, as well as 6 Pass deflections and forced fumbles over his Cowboys career. He also made a fumbled recovered touchdown in Week 1 of 2023.
Paul Posluszny – Buffalo Bills
Posluszny made his college game debut in the fifth game of the 2003 freshman season at Penn State University. He started his career with the Buffalo Bills in 2007.
He was offered a four-year contract worth $4.75 Million by Bills, including a $2.25 million guarantee. In the 2008 season, he contributed 110 combined tackles, 6 pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and an interception in 16 games.
After being released by Buffalo in 2010, Paul started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 as a middle Linebacker. He debuted his first game against the Tennesse Titans and contributed 4 combined tackles with a single pass deflection leading the team to a 16-14 victory.
In Week 13 of the 2017 season, Posluszny made 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks, helping the Jaguars win 30-10 against the Indianapolis Colts. He totaled 61 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and 1.5 sacks that year.
Awards
- 2013 Pro Bowl
- 2 times Chuck Bednarik Award in 2005 and 2006
- Dick Butkus Award in the same year
- 2 times First-Team All-big Ten in 2005 and 2006
- Second team All-big Ten in 2004.
Posluszny has contributed a total 1214 of total tackles, 16.0 Sacks, and 15 interceptions over his NFL journey. In addition to this, he made 51 pass deflections, 8 forced fumbles, and a Defensive touchdown.
Navarro Bowman served as a Linebacker for 8 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the San Franciso 49ers in the third round of the Draft.
He attended Pennsylvania State University from 2006 to 2009 and played for the Nittany Lions. He was redshirted in the 2006 season and debuted in the 2007 season playing 9 games in total.
Bowman played 16 games with San Francisco in the 2010 season after being selected as the 91st overall pick by the 49ers.
In the 2015 season, Bowman recorded a league-leading tackle of 154 which landed him his third Pro Bowl appearance. He contributed 2.5 sacks and defended two passes ranking him 61st among the Top 100 NFL Players of 2016.
After the 49ers stint, Navarro made a $3 million contract with the Oakland Raiders in October 2017. In Week 12 of the season game, he led the Raiders victory over the Denver Broncos by 21 – 14.
The best part of his career is, that he was a 4 Times First team All-pro from 2011 to 2015. He achieved 3 times Pro Bowls in 2012, 2013, and 2015 and was awarded with Butkus Award in 2013.
Bowmans Career Statistics:
- 798 total Tackles
- 14.0 Sacks
- 9 Forced fumbles
- 6 Fumble recoveries
- 5 interceptions
- 1 Defensive Touchdowns
He played 99 games over his entire career and last appeared in the 2017 season.