Penn State Alumnus Chris Godwin Drafted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Chris Godwin
Image: tampabay.com

A retired financial executive, Reid Hackney managed IT and accounting functions for Dressbarn from 2000 to 2012 and recently served as chief financial officer for AGACI. Reid Hackney graduated from Penn State in 1979 and remains an avid fan of the school’s Nittany Lions football team.

As of the start of 2017 training camp, there were 36 Penn State alumni on National Football League (NFL) rosters, including Chris Godwin, the only member of the 2016 team to be selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Godwin, a six-foot-one, 205-pound wide receiver, was drafted 84th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is expected to compete for the fourth wide receiver role behind an impressive core of players, including newly signed DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, and Mike Evans.

In three seasons with Penn State, Godwin recorded a combined 2,421 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. He had a breakthrough junior campaign last season and finished the year with 11 touchdowns and 982 receiving yards. Although Godwin was the only Penn State player to be drafted in 2017, four others have since signed professional contracts. Linebacker Brandon Bell agreed to a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive lineman Garrett Sickels signed with the Indianapolis Colts, safety Malik Golden signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and defensive end Evan Schwan agreed to a deal with the New York Giants.

Penn State Football’s Successful 2016-2017 Season

 

Penn State Football
Image: opsusports.com

Reid Hackney retired as the vice president and CFO of A’GACI in San Antonio, Texas, in February of 2017. An alumnus of Penn State University, Reid Hackney remains a fan of his alma mater’s football team.

Despite losing their final game of the season to the USC Trojans in the 2017 Rose Bowl, the Penn State Nittany Lions had a successful season in 2016. Third-year head coach, James Franklin, led the team to a final BCS ranking of seventh in the nation along with a Big Ten championship.

The season started slowly with an early loss to cross-state rival Pitt in the second game of the season, and the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines manhandled Penn State in game four, leaving the latter with a 2-2 record.

Nevertheless, the team went on to win nine straight games, including a comeback victory over powerhouse Ohio State in a classic contest. Penn State outscored the Buckeyes by 17 points in the fourth quarter, including a dramatic touchdown off of a blocked field goal attempt.