Defensive tackle Parker Cothren is headed to the Pittsburgh Steelers along with Marcus Allen. Cothren signed as an undrafted free agent on Saturday night after the final rounds of the draft concluded.

Cothren came into Penn State as a 3-star recruit, making his commitment in November of 2012 during some of the toughest times in Penn State program history. He stuck through it all to make it to the professional level.

The Alabama native totaled 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his senior season in Happy Valley, earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors in the process. He started all 13 games his senior year – in fact, he’s appeared in every Penn State game since his redshirt freshman year in 2014.

Cothren went on to play in the East-West Shrine Game with a handful of his Nittany Lion teammates after taking home the Fiesta Bowl trophy. He and Curtis Cothran anchored the center of the defensive line for Brent Pry throughout last season.

Cothren is now the 12th Penn State player to sign on with an NFL team since the beginning of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

About the Author

Derek Bannister

Derek is a senior majoring in Economics and History. He is legally required to tell you that he's from right outside of Philly. Email Derek compliments and dad-jokes at derekbannister@onwardstate.com.

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