The departed: An update on Penn State transfers
They were not there as the Bill O'Brien era began with an uninspiring loss to Ohio of the MAC Conference. Instead, they were sprinkled throughout the country, some more than 2,000 miles away from Happy Valley, as they debuted with their new schools.
The departed: An update on Penn State transfers
They were told they could leave their embattled football program with no penalties -- and many took the NCAA up on the offer.
After the NCAA slammed Penn State with unprecedented sanctions, several Nittany Lions transferred. Each had a different reason, but each wanted a fresh start.
They were not there as the Bill O’Brien era began with an uninspiring loss to Ohio of the MAC Conference. Instead, they were sprinkled throughout the country, some more than 2,000 miles away from Happy Valley, as they debuted with their new schools.
Here’s a look at how they fared:
Silas Redd: Redd, the shifty running back who ran for 1,241 yards last season, was undoubtedly the most important player to transfer from Penn State. He was wooed by USC coach Lane Kiffin and chose to play his senior year in Southern California, where the Trojans were the preseason No. 1. USC thumped Hawaii, 49-10, in their season opener and Redd seemed to pick up right where he left off. He ran for 56 yards and a touchdown in a team-high nine carries. He also recorded one reception for 41 yards, and fumbled the ball once. Redd told the LA Times he watched the Penn State game. "It's a tough loss for those guys," he said.
Justin Brown: Brown would have been Penn State’s No. 1 wide receiver this season, as he was the top returning wideout from the 2011 campaign. But the Delaware native chose to go to Oklahoma, where he was designated as a top punt returner. He returned one punt for 26 yards, but only gathered a total of four yards in his other two attempts. The Sooners, ranked No. 6 in the country, were a bit sloppy in a 24-7 win over UTEP. Brown had four catches, including one for 13-yards on the first play of the third quarter.
Anthony Fera: Fera was an all-Big Ten punter last season who became the first Penn State player in more than 30 years to handle field goals, kickoffs and punts. That left Penn State in a bind when the Texas native decided to transfer closer to home and play for No. 15 Texas. However Fera did not play in the Longhorns’ opener, a 37-17 win against Wyoming, because of a groin injury he sustained in training camp.
Kevin Haplea: Haplea, of Annandale, N.J., was mostly a blocking tight end for Penn State last season. He was instrumental in helping Redd rush for more than 1,000 yards last season. Haplea chose to go to Florida State, where he debuted for the Seminoles in their 69-3 rout over Murray State. Haplea recorded one catch for three yards.
Khairi Fortt: The linebacker from Connecticut chose to leave Linebacker U and travel across the country to play for Cal. The Golden Bears lost to Nevada, 31-24, in their opener but Fortt was not on the field. He had a knee procedure in the spring and is currently undergoing rehab. He might be able to play this season, or coach Jeff Tedford might redshirt the linebacker so he has two years of eligibility remaining.
-Emily Kaplan
They all won except for the guy who went to Cal. And he won anyway, he's at Berkeley and not Happy Valley.— xxx- The only one I can accept is Fera. his Mom has MS and he wanted to be closer to home, and where she could more easily attend his games. The rest of them, good riddance you quitters. Your teammates and your university needed you and you quit.— akh
- They didn't quit any more than the university quit on them. PSU got its priorities way out of order and these players chose to leave because of it. The dirty little secret (perhaps a poor choice of words) in Pennsylvania was that PSU football was extremely mediocre and way overrated before the scandal broke. 7-4 or 6-5 every year, .500 at best in a very bad Big Ten conference, at a low rated top 25 team. Not to be even mentioned with the top programs in the country,m and all you PSU fans talk about it like it is Alabama or LSU. This program will now go from mediocre to very bad for a long time and you cannot fault these players for leaving this train wreck. — phillyguy61
- Do PSU Fans a favor and don't report anything on these Transfers! Fans especialy don't want to hear how sorry they are for "those guys" (ex teammates they turned their backs on)! They're GONE, forget writeups, unless it's an Obituary!— cooperhawk
- Agree with cooperhawk: please don't report on these guys. They ran out on their friends when the chips were down. With the exception of Fera, I have to question their character.
I'll take it a step further and question the NCAA's character too. Why did they create this consequence that was certain to encourage players to abandon their teammates? Is this in keeping with the values they are trying to promote? Why would you encourage anyone to do that under ANY circumstances? The NCAA gave itself a black eye in its over the top effort to punish anything that moved. I'm surprised they didn't go after the PSU glee club.— terp - I don't agree with the criticism of these players anymore than I would fault any for deciding to turn pro. All, I mean all of the PSU players from last year's team are innocent of the wrongdoing that resulted in sanctions. Fairminded people will not judge these transfers harshly. With that said, those that stayed have demonstrated their loyalty to a cause larger than themselves and their personal careers. I admire the players on the current team and will root for them through thick and thin.— Claudio Vernight
- I like the updates. Was wondering myself how everyone did. I can't blame anyone for transferring although I really admire the dedication and character of those players that stayed.— samtheman
- I enjoy this report too, but some real reporting would be, "How could Rob Bolden possibly have landed at a top-line Division 1 program?"— HolidayinCambodia
- and the PSU alumni continue to not get it.— Mottz
- Forget about these guys.....they left so they could get a "bowl" ring.....guess mental toughness and team mean nothing to them......they no longer belong to PSU and we don't give a dam what they are doing now.....hope the shiny bling makes them happy......cause we are still here and they are not....— nuggett
- I can't believe some of you are STILL drinking the Blue Kool-Aid? These kids didn't quit, if anything give them some credit for looking around and saying "why would I want to be around this scumbag program/University?".
The program should have gotten the deathpenalty...oh well, it will soon feel like it when the BIG 10 teams comes knocking. Goodluck w/that...lol— somertonspartan - I admire them for leaving and not wanting to be a part of an institution that placed a football team above the safety of children.— Mr. Barffington
- The kids who left were smart . These next four years will be a train wreck. Bolden ask to leave last year and Paterno told him no. Would you rather be on the bench at LSU or PennState. That's a no brainer before the sanctions hit.— Kerz
- Its only going to get worse - They will be another Syracuse program - it will never return - Like Indiana or Purdue of the Big Ten - OHIO ???— Ed Sullivan
- NFL coaches look at heart. They won't find one in group.
This season is Joe's fourth season on the paper's Penn State beat. He previously covered the Nittany Lions for United Press International from 1976 to 1984.
Emily Kaplan is the Inquirer’s fall intern covering the Nittany Lions. She is a senior at Penn State and has covered a variety of sports for the university’s student-run paper, The Daily Collegian. Over the last two years, she has reported for The Associated Press from State College.
A Montclair, N.J. native, she has also interned at MLB Network, NHL.com and covered the 2012 Olympics in London. Follow her on Twitter here @EKaplan24.
