web1_seed1_faa.jpg

Geisinger’s ‘Seed to Farmacy’ initiative focuses on healthy eating

web1_scr-hom-triple-mug.jpeg

Trio, including pair from Pittson, accused in Scranton woman’s death

Right when the 2017 draft ended last April, Saquon Barkley and Mike Gesicki were already high up in the early rankings for 2018.Good call.What no one would have predicted &#8212; even a few months ago &#8212; is who the next Penn State player selected would be.That would be senior safety Troy Apke, who was the first of four Nittany Lions drafted Saturday on the third and final day of the event.Apke went in the fourth round (109th overall) to the Washington Redskins and was followed by receiver DaeSean Hamilton just four picks later to the Denver Broncos (No. 113). Safety Marcus Allen landed in the fifth round with the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 148) and cornerback Christian Campbell closed things out by going to the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth (No. 182).Penn State finished the weekend with six draft picks &#8212; the school&#8217;s most since 2010 &#8212; and tied for fifth in the country behind Alabama&#8217;s 12 and seven apiece for LSU, N.C. State and Ohio State.As it turned out, Apke&#8217;s performance at the NFL combine was as impressive as those of teammates Barkley (No. 2 overall, New York Giants) and Gesicki (No. 42, Miami Dolphins).<ins>Already the MVP of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl &#8212; one of the lesser-known senior all-star games &#8212; it was Apke&#8217;s showing in Indianapolis that really did the trick. </ins>The one-time track star at Mt. Lebanon High School outside of Pittsburgh recorded a 4.34 in the 40-yard dash, the fourth-fastest time of anyone at the event. <ins>Apke went viral when Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who was broadcasting live for NFL Network at the time, went out of his way to congratulate Apke with a hug after his run.</ins>&#8220;My speed will help with everything,&#8221; Apke told reporters in the nation&#8217;s capital. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to make a name for myself on special teams first and then after that, just make my way into playing safety there.&#8221;Apke didn&#8217;t start at Penn State until his senior year this fall but closed out his career by playing his best football in the second half of the season.&#8220;We couldn&#8217;t be happier for Troy to hear his named called during the NFL draft,&#8221; Penn State coach James Franklin said. &#8220;He was a guy who contributed for us on special teams early in his career, but really took advantage of his opportunities when they came around on defense. As you saw at the NFL combine, he has tremendous speed and agility, and we believe he will be a great contributor for the Redskins.&#8221;If Apke was the Lions&#8217; biggest riser in this draft class, Hamilton wasn&#8217;t far behind.After finishing his career as Penn State&#8217;s all-time receptions leader, Hamilton initially missed out on an invitation to the prestigious Senior Bowl. But his week of practice at the East-West Shrine Game impressed so much, that he ultimately got to play in both showcases, where he caught the eye of some very big names.&#8220;We were very impressed by DaeSean Hamilton at the Senior Bowl and are glad to take him in the fourth round,&#8221; wrote John Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who now serves as Broncos general manager, on Twitter. &#8220;A very solid and versatile wide receiver from Penn State who does a tremendous job in all aspects of his game.&#8221;A top-notch possession receiver, the biggest question around Hamilton was his speed. But a better-than-expected showing at Penn State&#8217;s pro day in March helped alleviate some of those concerns.Not that it made the weekend wait any easier.&#8220;The call (from the Broncos) took a lot of weight off of my shoulders,&#8221; Hamilton told Denver media. &#8220;I was filled with a lot of emotion and really excited for it. Now, knowing that I&#8217;m going to a great organization like the Broncos, I want to prove to them that they picked the right person.&#8221;<ins>&#8220;His maturity, tireless work ethic, team-first mentality and continued perseverance make him into the player he is today,&#8221; Franklin said. &#8220;He excelled in the slot with his crisp route running and great hands. We believe DaeSean will add his name to the list of Nittany Lion wide receivers to excel at the next level.&#8221;</ins>Hamilton wasn&#8217;t the only four-year starter to get the call on Saturday.Allen ended up with the exact team he was hoping for when the Steelers selected the hard-hitting saftety.&#8220;Man, I&#8217;m coming home,&#8221; Allen said on a conference call. &#8220;I&#8217;m coming home. It&#8217;s all tears of joy right now. This is a perfect situation. This is my home. This is my hometown. My grandmother is there. My grandfather is there, my whole family. I&#8217;m so excited.&#8221;Allen may have grown up and played his high school ball in Maryland, but his father is from the Pittsburgh area and he spent summers there as a kid.In Pittsburgh, Allen will rejoin former teammates Jesse James and Malik Golden and be coached by long-time Penn State mainstay Tom Bradley, who became the Steelers defensive backs coach this winter.&#8220;Marcus was a four-year starter for us and was one of our leaders in the secondary for much of his career,&#8221; Franklin said. &#8220;He will be a great addition for the Steelers with the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the locker room and field each day.&#8221;The Lions secondary got more good news in the sixth round.Campbell was particularly excited to have landed with the Cardinals, where he&#8217;ll have a chance to learn from All-Pro corner Patrick Peterson, one of his favorite players.<ins>&#8220;He&#8217;s a technician. I used to watch him every season,&#8221; Campbell told the team website. &#8220;I modeled my game after him. Fast player, very skilled. That&#8217;s who I used to watch all the time.&#8221;</ins>Penn State just missed having all four starters from the defensive backfield drafted as cornerback Grant Haley will have to go the free agent route. He wrote on social media that he will be joining Barkley with the New York Giants.A pair of close friends and New Jersey natives &#8212; linebacker Jason Cabinda and wideout Saeed Blacknall &#8212; both announced that they were signing with the Oakland Raiders.Penn State confirmed all three signings as well as announcing that offensive lineman Brendan Mahon would sign with the Carolina Panthers, defensive linemen Curtis Cothran and Parker Cothren would join the Minnesota Vikings and Steelers, respectively, and kicker Tyler Davis would head to the Buffalo Bills.<style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_DO9RyqIXUAALQ0v-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (5) joined teammates Saquon Barkley and Mike Gesicki in the NFL draft when he was selected by the Denver Broncos on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_DO9RyqIXUAALQ0v-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (5) joined teammates Saquon Barkley and Mike Gesicki in the NFL draft when he was selected by the Denver Broncos on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Abby Drey | AP file photo, Centre Daily Times </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Derek Levarsedlevarse@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>PSU IN THE DRAFTPos.`Player`Team`Round`PickRB`Saquon Barkley`New York Giants`1st round`No. 2 overallTE`Mike Gesicki`Miami Dolphins`2nd round`No. 42 overallS`Troy Apke`Washington Redskins`4th round`No. 109 overallWR`DaeSean Hamilton`Denver Broncos`4th round`No. 113 overallS`Marcus Allen`Pittsburgh Steelers`5th round`No. 148 overallCB`Christian Campbell`Arizona Cardinals`6th round`No. 183 overall</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse</shirttailMeta></div>

Apke, Hamilton, Allen, Campbell close out Penn State’s 2018 draft class