All-Star Wrap: Apke shines at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Six former Nittany Lions participated in a pair of senior all-star games Saturday, including Jason Cabinda, Curtis Cothran, Parker Cothren, Grant Haley and DaeSean Hamilton at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., while Troy Apke played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. A look at how they performed:
First, the highlights from the media coverage of the two games.
Troy Apke, S, Penn State
"Apke was an excellent special teams player at Penn State and showed off his ball skills at the NFLPA Bowl. After having just one interception all season and two for his career, the 6-1, 198-pound safety picked off Michigan quarterback John O’Korn in Saturday’s NFLPA Bowl and was named game MVP."
From NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah:
Jason Cabinda, ILB, Penn State
"There wasn't a lot of buzz about Cabinda during the week of practices, but he made a big impression on me during the game Saturday. He was physical coming downhill to make plays, showing some thump inside. Cabinda was Penn State's leading tackler in 2017, and it was easy to see why on Saturday. He can help an NFL team on defense and special teams."
Other standouts
DaeSean Hamilton
Hamilton made two receptions - including one highlight reel haul - for 42 yards on the East squad Saturday at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Following a week full of impressing NFL scouts and media personnel, he was also added to the roster for this week's Senior Bowl to be held in Mobile, Ala. He'll join Mike Gesicki, Marcus Allen and Christian Campbell at the game.
In-tandem
Defensive statistics were not made available from the East-West Shrine Bowl, but a familiar situation emerged when Cabinda and Cothran were credited with a combined third-down tackle to prevent a West first down. Former teammate and friend Anthony Zettel took notice.
