May 10, 2009

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; May 10, 2009 – Defensive end Maurice Evans has signed with the New York Giants, becoming the 14th member of Penn State’s 2008 Big Ten Championship team to be drafted or signed by National Football League teams during the past two weeks.

From Brooklyn, N.Y., Evans joins defensive tackle Jay Alford and tackle Kareem McKenzie as Penn Staters on the New York roster. Both players were significant contributors in helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLII in 2008.

Evans teamed with Aaron Maybin, a first round choice of the Buffalo Bills, to give Penn State one of the nation’s most prolific pass rushing tandems in 2008. Playing in nine games, Evans recorded 34 tackles, with 4.5 tackles for loss (minus-29) and three sacks. He was tied for fifth on the squad in TFL and was fourth in sacks. An all-state selection at Christ The King High School, Evans made a season-high six tackles in the Nittany Lions’ 48-7 victory at Wisconsin.

A 2007 first team All-Big Ten selection, Evans recorded 17 career sacks, good for a tie for 13th place on Penn State’s all-time list.

Five Penn Staters were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. Maybin was the No. 11 overall selection and the first Big Ten Conference player to be drafted this year. In the third round, the Detroit Lions selected All-American Derrick Williams and Deon Butler, the Nittany Lions’ career receptions leader, was picked by the Seattle Seahawks. The New England Patriots selected All-America guard Rich Ohrnberger in the fourth round. In the seventh round, the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers selected All-America center A.Q. Shipley, who hails from nearby Moon Township.

Nittany Lions from the 2008 season previously signing NFL contracts were: tackle Gerald Cadogan and safety Anthony Scirrotto with the Carolina Panthers, cornerback Tony Davis (Arizona), defensive end Josh Gaines (Philadelphia), wide receiver Jordan Norwood (Cleveland), safety Mark Rubin (St. Louis), linebacker Tyrell Sales (Indianapolis) and cornerback Lydell Sargeant (Buffalo).

With the selection of the five players this year, 239 Nittany Lions have been drafted under Hall of Fame Coach Joe Paterno and more than 300 of his players have signed NFL contracts.