UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Some guys just don't want to be in college anymore. It can be as simple as that. Because even if there are plenty of obvious reasons for them to return to school and play another year, they decide to turn pro anyway.
The phrase we usually hear from these guys is, "I'm betting on myself."
And sure enough, we heard that exact phrase on Penn State's pro day from wide receiver Parker Washington, who entered the NFL draft early despite still dealing with the aftermath of an ankle injury that cut short his 2022 season.
"A big thing is you gotta bet on yourself and just be confident in yourself," Washington said.
The thing about betting -- on anything -- is there's always a chance to lose. And sometimes to lose big.
Anybody who's ever bet on sports likes to tell the story of the huge bet they won and how it cashed in a big ticket. However, experienced sports bettors also fully understand that you're gonna lose more than you win, sometimes in crushing, heartbreaking fashion.
We hear the tales from athletes who bet on themselves and won, because they are feel-good stories that make us like them even more. But we usually do NOT hear many stories of athletes who bet on themselves and lost, because those athletes typically fall by the wayside and never achieve the success they desired.
Two quick Penn State examples:
Remember defensive end Maurice Evans? He was considered a good NFL prospect entering 2008, but then had a disappointing junior season. It seemed clear to everybody that he needed to return to college for another year, yet decided to turn pro anyway. Evans went undrafted in 2009, made a few practice squads for a couple of years but never played a snap in an NFL game.
That was a cautionary tale for a guy betting on himself.
The opposite, though, occurred with defensive tackle Kevin Givens. He had a solid career at Penn State as a disruptive lineman but never received many accolades. It was very odd that he decided to enter the draft in 2019, and no surprise that he went undrafted. But Givens hit the jackpot by signing with the perfect team for him -- the 49ers -- and has become a solid NFL player who recently signed a $2.1 million deal for 2023.
Givens, one of those guys who simply didn't want to be in college anymore, bet on himself. And he won.
Going back to Washington, he seemed to fully understand the concept when I asked him about it at pro day.
"At the end of day, it is a gamble," he said. "Even if I come back, it's a gamble. You never know. You just got to be willing to attack that and just go put your best foot forward. And that's what it's all about, just being confident."
Confidence is great. But the real issue here with Washington isn't about confidence. It's about health.
He missed Penn State's final two regular-season games and then the Rose Bowl after suffering an ankle injury. That injury prevented him from being able to work out for NFL scouts at the combine and at Penn State's pro day.
It's unclear if Washington has worked out at all for any teams over the past month, or if he's even been physically ready to do so.
"I'm so close," he said of his health at pro day March 24. "Since the injury has been like, four or five months, I believe. So, I'm real close to getting back out there. I'm excited. I'm continuing to work, and I'm running now. So, I just gotta to continue to build on that."
He then was asked what percent he was at in terms of being healthy.
"I'm at a good place right now," he said. "I'm starting to do pretty much everything. When I want to talk about (physical therapy) and everything, it's really what I feel. If I'm feeling good, I continue to build on it. So, I'm at a good percentage now. I'm like real close. Into April, I feel like I'll be good."
Not being able to showcase his skills AND being unable to prove he's fully recovered from the ankle injury could cost Washington significantly in this weekend's NFL Draft.
He may have been touted as a potential third-round pick late in the 2022 season, but as of now, it's really kind of hard to see any team picking him before the fifth round. If he does indeed drop that far -- or farther -- there could end up being a lot of regret about not coming back for one more season at Penn State.
Or, maybe not.
Because again, as mentioned at the very beginning of this story, some guys just don't want to be in college anymore. And the hunch here is that Washington falls into that category.
Washington had 46 catches for 611 yards and two TDs for the Nittany Lions in 2022 -- decent numbers but nothing eye popping. The 5-foot-10, 215-pounder did have a monster game against Ohio State, pulling down 11 catches for 179 yards and a score.
There's plenty of game film on Washington for NFL scouts to watch, and he's hoping everyone pays particularly close attention to that contest against the Buckeyes, which was the best game of his career. He also had 64 catches for 820 yards and four scores in 2021, and given that level of success, it's quite possible that he intended to turn pro after 2022 regardless.
If he does somehow get drafted in the third or early fourth round, then Washington's gamble will have paid off. Because even if he would have returned to Penn State for another year, he really isn't the kind of receiver you think would have worked his way into the second round.
However, if he falls to the fifth round or later, on the surface, that would appear to be him losing this particular bet.
Of course, he still could go out and prove himself on the field and enjoy a good NFL career, in which case his draft gamble at this point would be a bit of moot point.
TE JOHNSON CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
Penn State tight end Theo Johnson has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors stemming from an altercation at a fraternity house Feb. 11.
Johnson faces charges of simple assault and criminal mischief after allegedly punching a man and causing him to suffer a concussion.
The Centre Daily Times obtained an affidavit of probable cause, which detailed what occurred in the incident.
Johnson reportedly tried to attend a fraternity party but did not have a required wristband. When asked to leave, Johnson allegedly punched the man. Police were called after a report that a man was punched in the face.
Penn State issued the following statement Wednesday:
"We are aware of the charges against Theo Johnson. These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed. We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter."
Johnson is a junior and a valuable member of Penn State's offense. He caught 20 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns last season.
INTERESTING CALL FOR FRANKLIN
It will be worth watching to see what James Franklin does about the Johnson situation. The Penn State football program has had very few legal situations occur during Franklin's tenure, to where the coach would have to determine disciplinary action for a player.
The legal system will play itself out in this matter. Franklin also will have to choose how to punish Johnson within the team -- whether it leads to a suspension or missing some game action.
Johnson and Tyler Warren are the top two returning tight ends and are expected to be heavily used this fall. Franklin recently suggested that the offense could use a lot of two tight end packages if the wide receiver situation isn't where it needs to be.
The Lions do have depth at tight end, including Jerry Cross and Khalil Dinkins, but those two lack experience.
So, the interesting call here for Franklin will be trying to balance handing out an appropriate punishment for Johnson while also dealing with the football repercussions. Again, the coach hasn't had to deal with many issues like this since taking over in 2014, so there's not a whole lot of precedent to determine what he might do.
BIG WEEK FOR RECRUITING
Penn State has been crushing it in recruiting lately, picking up two big offensive line commitments this week. The Lions have landed seven of their 12 commitments for the class of 2024 this month.
Penn State is now up to No. 5 in the national recruiting rankings from 247Sports.
The two offensive line commitments this week:
• OT Garrett Sexton (6-7, 245), a 4-star prospect from Arrowhead High School in Hartland Wisconsin. He's the No. 4 prospect in Wisconsin and No. 30 offensive tackle in the nation. He chose Penn State over in-state Wisconsin, along with Oklahoma, Stanford, Purdue, Michigan State, Baylor and Iowa.
• OT Eagan Boyer (6-7, 260), a 3-star prospect William Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, N.C. He's the No. 20 prospect in North Carolina and No. 46 offensive tackle in the nation. He chose Penn State over Clemson, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State and Lousiville.
Both linemen were recruited by Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, who has done a marvelous job the past couple of years in recruiting. Trautwein is rated the No. 15 recruiter in the nation for the class of 2024 with three commits: Sexton, Boyer and 4-star interior lineman Cooper Cousins.
BASKETBALL LANDS UNC TRANSFER
Penn State picked up another key transfer Wednesday when Puff Johnson announced his commitment to the Lions. He was rated the No. 5 prospect in Arizona and No. 69 in the nation coming out of high school.
Let’s Rock #WeAre pic.twitter.com/Af2bpiMfEv
— Puff Johnson (@PuffJohnson14) April 26, 2023
Johnson is a 6-8, 200-pound forward who spent the past three seasons with the Tar Heels. He averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this past season while playing 15.9 minutes per game. He averaged 3.1 and 1.1 points the previous two years.
Johnson is the fourth transfer to join Penn State this offseason. The other three:
• PG Ace Baldwin (VCU), the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year last season
• F Nick Kern (VCU)
• F Zach Hicks (Temple)
The Lions also have lost the following players to the portal: F Evan Mahaffey, G Dallion Johnson, F Caleb Dorsey, C Kebba Njie.
