Who’s your Super Bowl pick? Why Penn State football fans might be cheering on the Rams
Penn State football has been represented in every Super Bowl since 1967, except for five, and that will continue Sunday evening when the Los Angeles Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. The Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, clinching an appearance for two former Nittany Lions, both of whom played for current head coach James Franklin.
Safety Nick Scott, who has made multiple starts in the postseason due to injuries at the position, and cornerback Grant Haley are both on the Rams’ roster.
Scott has recorded 45 tackles this season and hauled in two interceptions during 17 games played in the regular season, and added 12 tackles and an interception in the playoffs. His interception notably came against now-retired Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback Tom Brady in the divisional round, helping Los Angeles pull off the upset victory. It was Brady’s last before retiring in January.
Haley played in five regular season games after he was signed to the Rams’ practice squad in late October and did not record any stats in those games. He’s contributed more in the postseason, playing seven snaps on defense against the Arizona Cardinals in the wild card round and recording three special teams tackles against the Buccaneers.
While Scott has contributed more in the NFL, Haley is responsible for one of the most notable moments in the Franklin era at Penn State. He famously returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in Beaver Stadium on Oct. 22, 2016 against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. The return gave the Nittany Lions a 24-21 lead and ultimately led to the upset victory and Penn State’s eventual Big Ten Championship win later that season.
He was at Penn State from 2014-2017 before going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft and signing with the New York Giants, where he spent two years. He then signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2020 before joining the Rams this season.
Scott was with the Nittany Lions from 2014-2018 and was taken by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft where he’s contributed on special teams and defense for the last three seasons.
