CENTERED ON NFL
Exeter grad Michal Menet is working out in Florida after deciding not to return to Penn State for a sixth season
Michal Menet called Penn State’s 2020 season “really tough” and not the way he wanted his senior year to play out.
But it wasn’t enough for the former Exeter star to consider staying in school and returning to the Nittany Lions for a sixth year. He’s at Exos training facility in Pensacola, Fla., preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine.
“As much as I love all my guys who are still there and the staff, it was just time for me to move on,” Menet said. “You never want your time at Penn State to end. It was a really tough year and even harder to go out on a tough year like that.
“After talking with my family, it was just the best choice for me to move on and start this next chapter in my life.”
Menet was a three-year starter at center for Penn State, missing just one game, and a two-time team captain. He was named to the All-Big Ten third team by coaches and media this season.
“The greatest accomplishment I’ve ever had in my sports career is being voted a captain by my peers,” he said. “To do it twice was truly an honor. It was very humbling.”
With Menet anchoring the offensive line, the Nittany Lions went 24-11 the last three seasons, including a win over Memphis in the 2019 Cotton Bowl. He also was part of Penn State’s Big Ten championship team in 2016 that went to the Rose Bowl and its 2017 team that beat Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.
He and his teammates had high hopes for 2020 before the coronavirus spread and forced spring practice to be canceled and for the season to be delayed and shortened. But the Lions lost 36-35 in overtime in their opener at Indiana and never recovered.
They wound up dropping their first five games for the worst start in school history before finishing with four straight victories. As a result, Penn State coach James Franklin fired offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca on Friday after just one season and replaced him with Mike Yurcich, who formerly worked at Texas, Ohio State and Oklahoma State.
“The season was definitely tough,” Menet said. “We were getting used to a new offense and a new technique (with new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein). I think not having spring ball and not having three out-of-conference games hurt us. I’m not making excuses, but I think that could have been valuable for us.
“As the season went on, you saw that things started to click a little bit. We started to build momentum. (But) it was obviously too late in the season to not have a sour taste in your mouth.”
Menet wasted little time in deciding not to take advantage of the NCAA waiver allowing all athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic. He hired Joel Segal, one of the premier agents in pro football who also represents Khalil Mack, Christian McCaffrey and Patrick Peterson, among others.
“He’s a class act,” Menet said about Segal. “There are a lot of guys that I talked to. He just stuck out as one of the guys who always
seemed very genuine and very motivated. His client list speaks for itself.
“It really came down to how motivated he was, how excited he was to talk to me and how proactive he was throughout the process.”
Walter Football rates Menet as the ninthbest center available in the draft and projects him to be taken between the third and fifth rounds. Pro Football Network, however, was effusive in its praise of him last month.
“Menet is one of the best-kept secrets at the center position,” its analysis said. “He draws rave reviews in the scouting community. He’s a tough, consistent blocker who plays with terrific technique and intensity.
“While Menet may not blow anyone away with eye-popping numbers at the combine, scouts believe he’s a scheme-versatile blocker with starting potential.”
He’s been at Exos since last weekend, working out between three and four hours a day to improve his times for the combine. Former Pitt center Jimmy Morrissey and Stanford offensive tackle Walker Little also are there.
“We start positional work next week,” Menet said. “I’m really excited for that. I think that will be very valuable.”
For now, he’s planning to play in the Senior Bowl Jan. 30 in Mobile, Ala. The NFL has not yet set a date or extended invitations to the combine in Indianapolis, which is usually late February or early March.
Penn State might be in Menet’s rearview mirror, but it’s not a place or a time that he’ll soon forget.
“I’m extremely grateful for everything that Penn State has given me,” he said. “I graduated with a degree in psychology. I built lifelong friendships. I was part of a brotherhood and a family for five years.
“I really can’t put into words how much that team means to me and will always mean to me. When I say I love everybody involved in that program. I truly mean that.”