Three former Penn State football players have been invited to next month's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Linebacker Dan Connor, quarterback Anthony Morelli and cornerback Justin King will attend the combine, scheduled for Feb. 20-26 at the RCA Dome. More than 300 players are scheduled to participate.
Connor, who won the Bednarik Award last December, had nine tackles and an interception in the Senior Bowl last month. According to the scouting Web site nfldraftscout.com, Connor is the top-rated middle linebacker in the draft.Morelli, a two-year starter for Penn State, finished his career with 5.275 passing yards, fifth-best in school history. He played in the East-West Shrine Game, where he went 2-for-10 with two interceptions. Anthony Morelli, according to nfldraftscout.com, is the 16th-ranked quarterback in the draft and a late-second-day pick or free-agent signee.
King is the first Penn State junior to declare for the draft since LaVar Arrington in 2000. He is working out in Arizona in preparation for the combine.
King's stepfather Terry Smith, the head football coach at Gateway High in Monroeville, told reporters that King's NFL advisory board report projected him as a second- to third-round pick. Draft sites now place King in the third- to fourth-round range.
Lafayette's Padilla preparing for next level: Lafayette All-America tackle Jesse Padilla turned 22 on Friday.
The celebration was tempered only slightly by the news Saturday he was not going to be the first Leopard to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Padilla had been cautiously optimistic about his chances since he had risen from No. 55 to No. 40 with a bullet in the nfldraftscout.com rankings. Thirty-three offensive tackles wound up being invited.
''I was hoping for the best, but I'm not discouraged,'' Padilla said. ''I knew I was going to be on the bubble because last year they only took 25 offensive tackles to the combine. I am from a small-time school. I understand that. This doesn't mean my dream of playing pro football is over. Every level I have played at, I have had success. They will have to prove to me I am terrible football player.''
Padilla knows there are other opportunities to showcase his size (6-5, 310 pounds), quickness, strength and skills.
He hopes to be at an NFL combine at Villanova in March. It's not as glamorous as the one in Indianapolis that is televised by the NFL Network, but scouts will be there to scrutinize.
In preparation, Padilla has been working out with Lafayette strength and conditioning coach Brad Potts. He also hired Eddie Edwards as his agent.
Lafayette coach Frank Tavani is confident Padilla has what it takes to play at the next level.
''Jesse has all the qualities that you are looking for,'' Tavani said. ''Everyone has seen film on him and they are impressed. ...''
