Sean Clifford Snaps a Penn State Slump in the NFL Playoffs
Green Bay rubbed some salt in Dallas' playoff wound Sunday, putting rookie quarterback Sean Clifford into the NFC Super Wild Card Game in the fourth quarter. In the process, Clifford accomplished something a Penn State football quarterback hasn't for a while: See action in a playoff game.
Clifford, the Green Bay Packers rookie quarterback, played a series late in the Packers 48-32 playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Clifford thus became the first Penn State quarterback to take playoff snaps at quarterback since Kerry Collins for the Tennessee Titans in 2009. Fifteen years later, Clifford got the call.
Why the clarification about playing quarterback in the playoffs? Remember that former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. Robinson, playing fullback for Seattle, caught one pass in the team's 43-8 win over Denver. It marked the perfect career cap, as Robinson retired after that season to begin a broadcasting.
A few more notes. Former Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin was on a playoff roster with the 2016 Oakland Raiders but didn't see action. And Trace McSorley signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in December, spending about a month on the practice squad before being released before the playoffs began.
For Clifford, this has been a satisfying rookie season. He made the Packers' roster as a fifth-round draft pick, earning the backup spot behind Jordan Love. He played in two games, completing his first career pass (for 37 yards) against Minnesota on New Year's Eve. What's more, Clifford announced his engagement in January. Pretty good start to the year for the former Penn State quarterback.
Clifford was among 21 former Penn State players who were part of NFL rosters.
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