Penn State's Theo Johnson, Kalen King Hit the Field at NFL Combine
After Chop Robinson put on a workout show Thursday at the 2024 NFL Combine, three more Penn State players take the field Friday in Indianapolis. Cornerbacks Kalen King and Daequan Hardy and linebacker Theo Johnson will work out for NFL personnel at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Here's a preview.
Johnny Dixon won't drill at the combine
Penn State cornerback Johnny Dixon told reporters Thursday that he will not work out at the combine or at Penn State's Pro Day in mid-March. Dixon said he sustained a hip injury at the Senior Bowl in January that will prevent him from taking part in drills. Dixon is interviewing with NFL teams during combine week.
Dixon, a third-team All-Big Ten player last season, opted out of the Peach Bowl in December and was not with the team in Atlanta. He participated in Senior Bowl drills, during which the injury occurred.
RELATED: Chop Robinson dazzles at the NFL Combine
Kalen King seeks to follow Joey Porter Jr.'s path
Former Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had a phenomenal rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning a nomination for NFL defensive rookie of the year. Kalen King spent two seasons with Porter, starting opposite him for one, and has made Porter a resource in his pre-game for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and draft.
"Joey is my dog, my guy," King told reporters in Indianapolis on Thursday. "Ever since I stepped on campus, I saw Joey and the type of guy he was, the way he approached the game. I feel like I was almost a sponge to him. I made sure I was always around him, always asking questions, always taking little bits and pieces that he used and try to implement them into my game. ... I talked to him about this process many times with him being here. I talk to him all the time. He's giving me tips what to expect."
King expects to be a presence during Friday's on-field cornerback workouts. After a 2023 season that didn't go as he planned, King wants to turn the combine into a new career launch point.
"I'm really trying to prove to myself [in] everything while I'm here," King said, "trying to kill everything in the drills, just show teams I am the person and player I think I am."
King will work out Friday with fellow Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy and tight end Theo Johnson, who was a huge hit at the Senior Bowl.
Theo Johnson ready for another big week
The Penn State tight end was among the Senior Bowl standouts in January and brought a jolt of momentum to the combine. Johnson has been training for the workouts in California, which he said have positioned him properly for Friday. "I think I'm setting myself up for success," Johnson told reporters in Indianapolis.
Johnson also credited Penn State's use of tight ends in its offense. NFL teams have noticed how Johnson lined in the slot, took on single coverage outside and even played some fullback in the Lions' T formation.
"At Penn State, I appreciated the opportunity I had. I was able to showcase all that tight end can do," Johnson said. "... That was a unique experience for me, because I'm able to show NFL teams that I'm able to lineup up anywhere on the field."
Up next
Offensive linemen Olu Fashanu, Caedan Wallace and Hunter Nourzad were the last of Penn State's 10 combine participants to arrive. They will work out March 4.
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