Another Penn Stater is getting his chance in the NFL.

Brandon Johnson was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, the team announced. Johnson was one of 22 players who tried out at the Steelers’ rookie mini-camp earlier this spring.

Johnson was a special teams regular throughout his career as a Nittany Lion after walking onto the team halfway through the 2013 season. He recorded four career rushing attempts for a total of 23 yards while serving on the team’s Leadership Council. But his physical skills were on display at Penn State’s Pro Day, where he turned heads and grabbed the attention of scouts — scouts primarily there for draftees Christian Hackenberg, Austin Johnson, and Carl Nassib. His 4.43 40-yard dash time and impressive 39-inch vertical jump kept him in the conversation among scouts, and he was able to prove that he belonged at the professional level by impressing the Steelers’ coaches in workouts.

Johnson will join fellow Nittany Lion Jesse James in the Steel City. Congrats, Brandon!

About the Author

Alex Robinson

Alex Robinson was Onward State's Acting Managing Editor/Resident Old Man. He lived in Harrisburg almost his whole life, but he says he's from California -- where he was born -- because that's more fun. He loves cats and Chinese food, but only separately. He met both Ben Affleck and Kanye West within a half hour, so the three of them are basically best friends. If you want to hear his #scorching #hot #takes, you can follow him at @ARobinsonPSU or email him at alexrobinson@onwardstate.com.

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