This isn’t an update of Penn State players in the NFL, but it’s certainly some thoughts on Penn Staters in the NFL.

Last weekend, my son went to a Colts preseason game and hoped that he could get Will Fries to autograph his hat. Meanwhile, I found myself checking in on Sean Clifford in hoping he can stick with Green Bay. Finally, I enjoyed the highlight of Parker Washington turning that new odd kickoff rule into a preseason highlight.

Yes, it’s that time of year when I cross my fingers that many of the players that we write about here or cheer about on our couch can get their shot at an NFL spot, or one more year of that paycheck, or finally have the breakout that we all want.

So what of Penn Staters in the NFL. I got to thinking about some of the players that I swore were going to be impact players (looking at you Tony Hunt) and the others that I couldn’t believe were still drawing a paycheck. Even then, there were those guys that I grew up in the 90s watching and not realizing they had once worn the blue and white.

With that in mind, I have some categories meant to generate some conversation. I’ll provide my answers, but talk amongst yourselves in the comments and share your own as we think about Penn Staters in and out of the NFL.

The “I can’t believe that guy had the career that he did no matter what anyone says”: Robbie Gould

You know the story, but isn’t it still pretty amazing? The former walk-on kicker, who I had English class with back in Spring 2002, just retired from the NFL. Over the course of his career, he made better than 85 percent of his field goals (about a 20 percent bump from his Penn State days) and was even named first-team all-pro back in 2006. Things clicked once he left Happy Valley and Gould wound up having a career that none of us – and probably not even Robbie himself – could have dreamed.

The “that dude played that long?” career: Tyoka Jackson

Jackson’s Penn State career ended the first year the Lions were in the Big Ten, earning all-conference honors back in 1993. He went undrafted in the spring of 1994, ultimately signing with the Atlanta Falcons and spending much of his first season on the practice squad. That kept him fresh as he went on to play through the 2006 season. His best seasons came with the St. Louis Rams, where he played in the Super Bowl and was a team captain. He finished his career with nearly 30 sacks. Of the 400-plus Penn State players to later play in the NFL, only 14 had longer careers than Jackson.

The “I honestly had no idea that guy played at Penn State” career: Michael Timpson

Full disclosure: Bobby Engram was my favorite Penn State player as a kid. He got drafted to the Bears. My best friend at the time was a diehard Bears fan. I told him how great Engram was going to be joining up with Curtis Conway at wide receiver. Well, my friend couldn’t stop talking about how great Michael Timpson was and the kind of year that he was going to have in 1996. I cheered against Timpson much of that year, hoping Engram would get more touches. About midway through the year, while watching a Bears game, I heard it noted that Timpson was also a former Nittany Lion. The Bears were still trash that year.

What have you got BSD readers? Let’s remember some guys and how their NFL careers were a surprise (good or bad) to you.