Matt Hahn, Fullback from Penn State.
Matt Hahn is beloved by Penn State faithful fans. He is a hard-nosed, blue collar, team first player. A highly recruited halfback out of high school, he was converted to fullback. He never complained and rarely carried the ball. While at Penn State, he carried the ball 30 times in four years and had 27 catches. Hahn measures in at 6′0, 236 lbs and is coming off of a knee injury suffered in the middle of his Senior year. Thought to be more of an H-back, he can play fullback or tight end. He looks at blocking the same as scoring touchdowns, and is selfless for the good of the team. The knee injury was serious, though I couldn’t find which ligament(s) were torn. Added note of interest, while perusing the Penn State athletic site looking for more information about Hahn’s knee injury, I found a Stefen Wisniewski. Seems his dad, Leo and his uncle Steve (yes, our Steve) both attended Penn State as well. His nickname is ‘The Wiz’ and he was an Army All American before signing to play with Penn State. If you think you’ll have a hard time watching Chris Long, wait until ‘The Wiz’ II comes out in the draft. He plays guard. Is it a coincidence the Raiders signed Hahn, a FB coming off of a serious knee injury with little or no stats? Hmmm, if this kid works out I guess we have an idea who to thank.
Matt Hahn was having one of his best days carrying the ball for Penn State, with 43 yards on five carries against Indiana last Oct. 20. But on his final carry, a 14-yard gain in the fourth quarter, Hahn tore his right ACL, ending his college career. The 6-foot, 236-pound fullback knew being drafted into the NFL was a long shot, but the injury derailed any hopes at all of his being selected. It did not, however, deter him from continuing to pursue a pro football career. After an arduous rehab process, Hahn was signed by the Oakland Raiders yesterday as an undrafted free agent. "I'm blessed that my opportunity came right away," said the Dix Hills product, who played for St. Anthony's. "I'm surprised how quickly it happened. The Raiders liked my film and gave me a chance. It couldn't have worked out better for me. I'm in a good spot."Hahn, who turned 23 Friday, participated at pro day last month on a limited basis. He took the Wonderlic test, did bench-press reps and spoke with several coaches. "It was tough to stay positive," he said. "It was easy in the beginning because I was still around my [college] teammates. Then you see guys getting ready for pro day and you can't do anything and it got frustrating. I was getting some positive feedback, but some teams weren't interested at all. I just had to continue my rehab." Hahn, who rushed for 3,920 yards for St. Anthony's, said he can run, jump and cut right now, six months after surgery. He will attend the Raiders' rookie camp May 8 and expects to be fine because there will not be any contact. He said the knee is 95 percent at the moment and that he expects to be fully recovered for the start of training camp in July. Hahn is lifting weights and doing agility drills. The process of rehabbing the knee has tapered off to a half-hour per day.
Hahn's contributions to a football team can't be completely measured in stats. He opens holes for running backs and catches passes out of the backfield. He was a key part of Penn State's offense, and although fullback isn't a glamorous position, he embraces the role. "You have to be a guy without a big ego," he said. "You put personal accolades on the back burner. You let other people get the credit. I know I can play in the NFL. Now I have to prove it."
Matt Hahn is beloved by Penn State faithful fans. He is a hard-nosed, blue collar, team first player. A highly recruited halfback out of high school, he was converted to fullback. He never complained and rarely carried the ball. While at Penn State, he carried the ball 30 times in four years and had 27 catches. Hahn measures in at 6′0, 236 lbs and is coming off of a knee injury suffered in the middle of his Senior year. Thought to be more of an H-back, he can play fullback or tight end. He looks at blocking the same as scoring touchdowns, and is selfless for the good of the team. The knee injury was serious, though I couldn’t find which ligament(s) were torn. Added note of interest, while perusing the Penn State athletic site looking for more information about Hahn’s knee injury, I found a Stefen Wisniewski. Seems his dad, Leo and his uncle Steve (yes, our Steve) both attended Penn State as well. His nickname is ‘The Wiz’ and he was an Army All American before signing to play with Penn State. If you think you’ll have a hard time watching Chris Long, wait until ‘The Wiz’ II comes out in the draft. He plays guard. Is it a coincidence the Raiders signed Hahn, a FB coming off of a serious knee injury with little or no stats? Hmmm, if this kid works out I guess we have an idea who to thank.Matt Hahn was having one of his best days carrying the ball for Penn State, with 43 yards on five carries against Indiana last Oct. 20. But on his final carry, a 14-yard gain in the fourth quarter, Hahn tore his right ACL, ending his college career. The 6-foot, 236-pound fullback knew being drafted into the NFL was a long shot, but the injury derailed any hopes at all of his being selected. It did not, however, deter him from continuing to pursue a pro football career. After an arduous rehab process, Hahn was signed by the Oakland Raiders yesterday as an undrafted free agent. "I'm blessed that my opportunity came right away," said the Dix Hills product, who played for St. Anthony's. "I'm surprised how quickly it happened. The Raiders liked my film and gave me a chance. It couldn't have worked out better for me. I'm in a good spot."Hahn, who turned 23 Friday, participated at pro day last month on a limited basis. He took the Wonderlic test, did bench-press reps and spoke with several coaches. "It was tough to stay positive," he said. "It was easy in the beginning because I was still around my [college] teammates. Then you see guys getting ready for pro day and you can't do anything and it got frustrating. I was getting some positive feedback, but some teams weren't interested at all. I just had to continue my rehab." Hahn, who rushed for 3,920 yards for St. Anthony's, said he can run, jump and cut right now, six months after surgery. He will attend the Raiders' rookie camp May 8 and expects to be fine because there will not be any contact. He said the knee is 95 percent at the moment and that he expects to be fully recovered for the start of training camp in July. Hahn is lifting weights and doing agility drills. The process of rehabbing the knee has tapered off to a half-hour per day.
Hahn's contributions to a football team can't be completely measured in stats. He opens holes for running backs and catches passes out of the backfield. He was a key part of Penn State's offense, and although fullback isn't a glamorous position, he embraces the role. "You have to be a guy without a big ego," he said. "You put personal accolades on the back burner. You let other people get the credit. I know I can play in the NFL. Now I have to prove it."
No comments:
Post a Comment