Trio of Nittany Lions Selected in Day Three of NFL Draft

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: April 27, 2020

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

Reid selected by Texans, Brown goes to Giants and Windsor heads to Colts

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State cornerback John Reid (4th round, 141st overall to the Houston Texans), linebacker Cam Brown (6th round, 183rd overall to the New York Giants) and defensive lineman Robert Windsor (6th round, 193rd overall to the Indianapolis Colts) were each selected on the third day of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Reid, Brown and Windsor become the third, fourth and fifth Penn State players to be selected in this year’s draft. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (38th overall to the Carolina Panthers) and wide receiver KJ Hamler (46th overall to the Denver Broncos) were each selected in the second round on Friday night.

A total of 361 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks tied for seventh among Division I institutions. Penn State has had 44 draft picks since 2010. A total of 26 Nittany Lions have been drafted since head coach James Franklin’s arrival to the program, including 17 in the last three years.

This marks the third-straight year that Penn State has had at least five draft picks. The last time the Nittany Lions had three consecutive years of five or more picks was 1991-93.

John Reid, CB, 5-10, 181, Mount Laurel, N.J./St. Joseph’s Prep

Reid is the 35th Nittany Lion defensive back all-time to be drafted and is the first Penn State player to be drafted by the Texans. He joins former Penn State and current Texans head coach Bill O’Brien in Houston.

“We are excited for John to continue his career with the Houston Texans,” said Franklin. “He played a lot of football for us and his experience will be valuable at the next level. There’s no better student of the game in our program. He devours film and took a great amount of pride in his preparation, which will help him be a contributor for the Texans. The way he has bounced back from adversity is a great example of his toughness and perseverance. He maximized his time as a Penn State student-athlete, earning his degree in data sciences and completing internships with Intel and Blizzard Entertainment.”

“John Reid is a student of the game,” said assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry M. Smith. “He invests in his film study and game preparation. He has some of the most dynamic feet and cover skills entering the NFL Draft. I’m looking forward to seeing him play on Sundays.”

John Reid Bio

Finished his career ranked 11th all-time at Penn State with 37 passes defended (30 PBU, 7 INT).
2019 All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree by the coaches and media.
Won the 2019 Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award, along with Steven Gonzalez and Robert Windsor, for greatest career contribution to Penn State Football, at the team’s awards banquet.
Made 13 starts and was one of 11 players to have earned their degree entering the Cotton Bowl, as he graduated with a degree in data sciences in December 2019.
Picked off a pass in the third quarter and returned it 25 yards to set up a Penn State touchdown in the win over Idaho (8/31/19).
Additionally, recorded his first full sack of his career in the first quarter against the Vandals.
In the win over Buffalo (9/7/19), intercepted a pass in the third quarter and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, his first career pick-six and Penn State’s first pick-six since Amani Oruwariye vs. Kent State in 2016.
Added four tackles, including two solo, and two pass breakups against the Bulls.
In the Pittsburgh victory (9/14/19), recorded three tackles and a half tackle for loss.
Collected two tackles and two pass breakups in the win over Purdue (10/5/19).
Posted seven tackles in the win at Iowa (10/12/19).
In the Michigan win (10/19/19), recorded six tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
Made three solo tackles and added a pass breakup in the win over Indiana (11/16/19).
Notched four solo tackles and broke up a pass at Ohio State (11/23/19).
Recorded three solo tackles and added a pass breakup in the Cotton Bowl victory over Memphis (12/28/19).

Cam Brown, LB, 6-5, 233, Burtonsville, Md./Bullis School

Brown becomes the 68th Nittany Lion linebacker to be drafted and the first since 2013, when Gerald Hodges (4th round, 120th overall) and Michael Mauti (7th round, 213th overall) were both drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Brown is the 15th Penn State player all-time to be drafted by the Giants. He joins Nittany Lion alums Saquon Barkley, Grant Haley and Austin Johnson in New York.

“We are thrilled for Cam to hear his name called by the New York Giants,” said Franklin. “Cam was a team captain for us, plays fast and attacks on each play. The sky is the limit in terms of his potential because of his ability to cover space. He has great size and length, and he has shown versatility to play multiple linebacker positions, which bodes well for him at the next level. Cam’s blitz potential is one of his many assets. Cam will represent LBU well on Sundays.”

“Cam is tough and physical,” said defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Pry. “He plays very reckless and throws his body around. He has tremendous range and has good rush ability. One of the special qualities of Cam is he started at all three linebacker positions here at Penn State.”

Cam Brown Bio

Selected a 2019 All-Big Ten third team honoree by the coaches.
Won the 2019 Captain’s Award and Keystone Award at the team’s awards banquet.
Tabbed to the Butkus Award watch list.
Team captain played in 13 games in 2019, including 12 starts.
Ranked tied for fourth in the Big Ten and tied for 27th in the nation with two fumble recoveries.
In the Buffalo win (9/7/19), registered 10 tackles and forced and recovered a fumble in the first quarter.
Collected seven tackles and made 1.5 tackles for loss, including a solo sack in the win over Pittsburgh (9/14/19).
Recorded four tackles, assisted on a TFL and broke up a pass in the win at Iowa (10/12/19).
Matched a career best with 10 tackles and added two QB hurries in the victory over Michigan (10/19/19).
Tallied six tackles, including one for loss, and added a pass breakup in the win at Michigan State (10/26/19).
Made six stops and a TFL at Minnesota (11/9/19).
Recorded six tackles and recovered a fumble in the first quarter at Ohio State (11/23/19).
Made seven stops, registered 1.5 tackles for loss and had a full sack in the win over Rutgers (11/30/19).

Robert Windsor, DT, 6-4, 285, Fond Du Lac, Wis./Fond Du Lac

With Windsor’s selection, 14 Penn State defensive linemen have been NFL Draft choices since 2006. Windsor is the 22nd Nittany Lion defensive tackle all-time to be drafted and is the program’s first since Austin Johnson (2nd round, 43rd overall to the Titans) and Anthony Zettel (6th round, 202nd overall) both went in the 2016 draft.

Windsor is the 20th Penn State player to be drafted by Indianapolis and the first since kicker Dave Kimball (7th round, 229th overall in 2004).

“We are excited for Rob to continue his career with the Indianapolis Colts,” said Franklin. “He played a ton of snaps in his career for us and was very productive. Rob has a tremendous motor to go along with his knowledge of the position. He also plays with a high level of confidence because of his preparation. Rob’s hard work will help him find success with the Colts. He took full advantage of his time at Penn State, earning his degree in telecommunications. He has a very bright future and we wish him nothing but the best in his NFL career.”

“Rob is a big tough guy that plays hard and runs very well for his size,” defensive coordinator Brent Pry said. “He has a lot of qualities that lend to the nose tackle position as well as to a three-technique. He’s got a unique skillset and a high football IQ.”

Robert Windsor Bio

Named a 2019 All-Big Ten third team selection by the coaches.
Won the 2019 Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award, along with Steven Gonzalez and Reid, for greatest career contribution to Penn State Football, at the team’s awards banquet.
Named to the 2019 Outland Trophy watch list.
Made 13 starts in 2019 and was one of 11 players to have earned their degree entering the Cotton Bowl.
Assisted on a sack in the Idaho win (8/31/19).
Collected five tackles in the win over Buffalo (9/7/19).
Assisted on a sack in the victory over Purdue (10/5/19) while adding two QB hurries.
In the win at Iowa (10/12/19), matched a career-high with six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while also adding two QB hurries.
Tallied five tackles and added a half-TFL in the victory over Rutgers (11/30/19).
Recorded a sack to go along with a QB hurry in the Cotton Bowl win over Memphis (12/28/19).
During the 2018 campaign, he finished sixth in the Big Ten and 42^nd nationally with 0.63 sacks per game.
Tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for fourth nationally with three fumble recoveries during his sophomore season in 2017.