ALTOONA, Pa. -- If you've followed my coverage of Penn State football at all the past two years, you know I absolutely love Jahan Dotson as a wide receiver.
For instance, there was this piece I wrote on Nov. 6, asking if Dotson is the best Penn State wide receiver ever.
And there was this piece I wrote in January of last year claiming Dotson deserves more respect than he gets.
Well, Dotson finally received some of the respect he has long deserved in Thursday's NFL draft. All of which allowed him to become the "legend" that he said was his goal when he returned to Penn State for his senior year.
Dotson was selected with the 16th pick of the first round by the Washington Commanders, and is the highest-drafted Penn State wide receiver since Kenny Jackson went No. 4 overall in 1984.
Welcome to the squad, @JahanDotson πππ pic.twitter.com/4fHwAgai8Y
β Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 29, 2022
.@JahanDotson bringing plays like this to the offense π€©
β Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 29, 2022
(π₯: @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/wpUBoLTB4g
Man, I will always remember how Dotson embarrassed Ohio State's Shaun Wade in that game pictured above from 2020.
For me, the reasons to love Dotson are two-fold -- and very simple.
1. He catches everything. And I mean everything. He is the most sure-handed wide receiver I've seen in college in a long time.
2. He is a quiet young man who just goes out and does his job, without being an obnoxious "look at me" or "give me the damn ball" kind of receiver such as Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown or so many other talented knuckleheads.
As for the lack of respect, Dotson was only third-team All-American in 2021 and was not a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Now, to be fair, college football was loaded with outstanding wide receivers, and there were six of them taken in the first round Thursday night. Dotson was the fifth receiver selected.
Just go back and watch the following video of Dotson candidly and honestly explaining why Penn State was struggling during the 0-5 start in 2020. It is about the most refreshingly candid interview I've ever seen from a Penn State player, and showed tremendous leadership on his part.
Here's what Penn State coach James Franklin had to say about Franklin after he was drafted.
The @Commanders are getting an incredibly talented, thoughtful & hard working teammate. We appreciate what youβve given to Penn State & I am grateful for the opportunity to coach, teach & mentor you! I will always be here for you & your family! https://t.co/dQAzymQRGy pic.twitter.com/4BXNUP0Rh3
β James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) April 29, 2022
"We are so proud of Jahan for being selected by the Washington Commanders," Franklin said in a university release. "He will be a tremendous addition to the Commanders organization. Jahan has an intense, laser-like focus on greatness and a competitive edge that will serve him well at the next level. His quickness, sure hands, and route running ability will make him a dangerous and explosive threat in the NFL.
"Jahan is a perfect example of what we want our program to be all about. As impressive as his accomplishments were at Penn State on the field, Jahan's thoughtfulness and character have always impressed me the most. We are very appreciative of everything Jahan has done to represent our program the right way, and I wish him nothing but the best in his NFL career."
Dotson caught 91 passes for 1,181 yards and 12 TDs for Penn State last season. He opted not to play in the Outback Bowl, and if he had, he likely would have broken Allen Robinson's school record of 97 catches in a season.
Here's a list of Dotson's accomplishments at Penn State, from the school's release:
* Recorded 183 career receptions at Penn State for 2,757 yards and 25 touchdowns, including a long reception of 86 yards.
* Owned 38 career receptions of 20 or more yards, six career touchdown catches of 60 or more yards (86 at Maryland, 2021; 75 vs. Illinois, 2020; 70 vs. Illinois, 2020; 68 vs. Iowa, 2020; 60 at Indiana, 2020; 72 vs. Purdue, 2019) and 10 touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards.
* Recorded a catch in final 41 career games.
* Ends career as Penn State's all-time leader in punt return average (17.8).
* Finished career tied for second all-time at Penn State in career receptions and receiving touchdowns, and fourth in receiving yards.* Completed career as one of 10 Nittany Lions to reach the 2,000 career receiving yards mark.
* Owned 11 career 100-yard receiving games, ranking second all-time at Penn State.
* Is the Penn State single season record holder for punt return average (24.6; 2020).
* In 2021, ranked second at Penn State in a single season in receptions (91), receiving yards (1,182) and receiving touchdowns (12).
* Became the fourth Penn State wide receiver in 2021 (6th instance) to record a 1,000-yard receiving season (1,182).
* Set the Penn State single-game receiving record with 242 yards against Maryland (11/7/21).
* Earned third-team All-America honors in 2021 from the Associated Press.
* Named first-team All-Big Ten in 2021 by the media and second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches
* Was a 2021 Biletnikoff Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist.