Ex-WPIAL stars go in 4th round
Ivy Leaguer from South Fayette goes in 5th round
Troy Apke and Jordan Whitehead never played against each other in high school, but now both of the former WPIAL stars are headed to the NFC after being on opposite sides of the Pitt-Penn State rivalry.
Mt. Lebanon’s 6-foot-1, 200-pound Apke (Penn State) and Central Valley’s 5-10, 200-pound Whitehead (Pitt), both safeties, became fourthround NFL draft selections Saturday afternoon. Apke went 109th overall to the Washington Redskins and Whitehead 117th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Apke was a four-year contributor, and Whitehead left school a season early.
“The Bucs got themselves a really great all-around football player,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement about Whitehead, who also played running back for parts of three seasons in college. “Jordan showed the ability to contribute in so many different ways at Pitt. He was a safety who could effectively defend both the run and pass, and he was also a dynamic threat for us. We’re looking forward to him doing great things in Tampa.”
Apke’s Nittany Lions teammate, wide receiver Daesean Hamilton, was taken by the Denver Broncos with the 13th pick of the fourth round, while Avonte Maddox, a cornerback who played in the Panthers secondary with Whitehead, was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 25th pick in the fourth.
At 5-9, Maddox is undersized for the NFL, but likely projects as a nickel cornerback who can cover smaller receivers in the slot, as well as make plays blitzing, as he often did at Pitt.
“The Eagles are going to love Avonte Maddox. He is as tough a competitor as I’ve been around, every single day and every single play,” Narduzzi said.
“Avonte was an important leader for our program the past three years. I know he will bring that same toughness and leadership to Philly.”
Whitehead and Apke were the only WPIAL products to be drafted in the first four rounds, but South Fayette High School graduate Justin Watson — a wideout who had three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the Ivy League at Penn — went to Tampa Bay with the seventh pick in the fifth round.
Watson’s college production, size (6-3, 225) and 40yard dash time (in the low 4.4 range at his pro day) put him on NFL radars despite not being invited to the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He is the first Penn player drafted since 2002.
“He’s big, he’s athletic. … He’s one of those guys that we talk about him a lot during the process, just because the way he’s wired is exactly how you want,” said Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht, who added that his staff scouted Watson throughout the season. “He just loves the game, and he’s a blue-collar kid.”
Watson’s rise was similar to how the run-up to the draft went for Apke, a 2014 Mt. Lebanon graduate who didn’t boast stellar production (111 career tackles, two interceptions) in his Penn State career but showed athleticism in a major way at the combine. Apke ran the 40 in 4.34 seconds, fourth-fastest among all defensive backs, and jumped 41 inches, third-highest at his position.
Apke had some more company later in the day, as Penn State had its fifth player drafted when the Steelers took safety Marcus Allen 11 spots into the fifth round. Their fellow defensive back Christian Campbell made it six, getting scooped up by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round, giving Penn State its most draftees since 2010.
Pitt finished with three selections in Brian O’Neill, Whitehead and Maddox. Wide receiver and return specialist Quadree Henderson, who skipped his senior year, went undrafted, as did wide receiver Jester Weah and offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith, both of whom were invited to the combine. Henderson is signing as a free agent with the Steelers.
Apke, Whitehead and Watson were the only WPIAL alumni whose names were called. Another Central Valley product, receiver Robert Foster of Alabama, is signing with the Buffalo Bills, while former Aliquippa running back Terry Swanson of Toledo is headed to the Houston Texans. Penn State defensive tackle Parker Cothren signed with the Steelers as a free agent.