Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Penn State Football

Penn State QB Sean Clifford Selected by Green Bay Packers in 5th Round of 2023 NFL Draft

Sean Clifford Rose Bowl
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) celebrates during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

Former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has been selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Not many people guaranteed that Clifford would hear his name called this weekend.ย 

Clifford has been long thought to be a fringe NFL player, and his selection is sure to have some Penn State fans shaking their heads.ย 

There haven’t been many players in Penn State history as polarizing as Clifford. He was Penn State’s starter for four seasons, which gave him plenty of time to make fans cheer and jeer. There was a lot of good to come from Clifford’s Penn State career.ย 

Clifford holds school records for career passing yards (10,661), passing touchdowns (86), completions (833), passing attempts (1,356), and completion percentage (61.4 percent).

Seven Penn State players receivedย invites to last month’s NFL Combine.

None of them played quarterback.

Sean Cliffordย started at football’s most important position for one of the college game’s most prominent programs for four seasons and didn’t get the invite.

Clifford didn’t feel he deserved to be left out.

“I feel like I was snubbed at the combine for sure,” Clifford told reporters at Penn State’sย Pro Dayย late last month in Holuba Hall. “The body of work I’ve had with these teams here. When I didn’t see my name as a combine guy, I felt disrespected for sure. But hey, it’s just more fuel to the fire.”

The legacy of Sean Clifford at Penn State is polarizing from a fan/media standpoint, but not for coachย James Franklinย and the program.

“He’s really represented our university and our football program the right way, both on and off the field, in his entire career,” Franklin said last December, “and he’s been doing it for a long time.

“He’s maximized that entire experience,” Franklin said. “He’s maximized it as a student, as a student-athlete. He’s going to go on and be a very, very successful businessman after his football career is done, and he’s done it the right way, and he’s done it with class.

“I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him.”

Get NSN in your Inbox

Enter your email address to get notifications of new posts by email.

More from Nittany Sports Now

Big Ten

0 A coach who brought Penn State fans agony and hours of football watching they will never get back is staying in the conference...

Penn State Football Recruiting

3s Penn State just keeps on stacking in its 2026 recruiting class. Less than 48 hours after Alexander Haskell (Philaphia) announced his commitment, Davion...

Nittany Sports Now

0 Former Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas will continue his pro football aspirations after reaching a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers....

Nittany Sports Now

1 Call me one of the few in a slim minority any that is giddy for the showdown at PNC Park Tuesday evening between...