PENN STATE FOOTBALL 2015
32
15
HAFFNER
HALEY
JACK
GRANT
5-10 ➤ 218 ➤ Sr./Jr. Eligible
5-9 ➤ 189 ➤ So./So. Eligible
Linebacker ➤ State College, Pa. Growing up in the shadows of Beaver Stadium, State College native Haffner moved from running back to linebacker during 2015 spring practice. ● The position change enables Haffner to utilize more reps and contact, which will allow the former all-state running back to become a pillar of the Nittany Lions special teams units. ● A superb student, Haffner ended the spring with a cumulative 3.35 grade-point average in the Smeal College of Business. ● Haffner, Matt Baney, Adam De Boef and Evan Galimberti are State College Area High School graduates on the Penn State roster. ● Haffner is among 13 returning Nittany Lions from Central Pennsylvania. ●
➤ 2014 ➤ Sophomore Season Appeared in nine games on special teams…Made two solo tackles…Appeared in games vs. UCF, Akron, at Rutgers, UMass, at Indiana, Temple, at Illinois, Michigan State and vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. UCF (8/30): Made the tackle on the season-opening kickoff at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Akron (9/6): Collected his lone stop on the game’s opening kickoff. ➤ 2013 ➤ Redshirt Freshman Season Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten for the first time in his career. Season: Appeared in seven games on special teams…Made one tackle. Purdue (11/16): Made his first career tackle. ➤ 2012 ➤ True Freshman Season Redshirt season. ➤ High School A four-year letterman for head coach coach Al Wolski at State College Area High School…Helped the Little Lions to the 2009 PIAA Class AAAA State Championship game and three district titles… Was a first-team Class AAAA all-state running back and a finalist for Pennsylvania Mr. Football as a senior…Amassed 2,143 yards on 288 carries (7.4 avg.) and scored 26 touchdowns during his senior season…Became just the second player in Centre County prep history to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season (surpassed only by Larry Johnson), by cracking the century mark 10 times during the 2011 campaign…Also earned first-team All-Mid-Penn Conference honors during his final prep season... As a junior, ran for 471 yards, scored 12 touchdowns and recorded 71 tackles from his linebacker post…Also captained the wrestling team. ➤ Personal Full name is John Steven Haffner…Son of Steve and Amy Haffner…Has one sister, Carly, and a brother, Pete…Father and uncle, C.J. Sichler, played baseball at Penn State, and aunt, Nancy Moerschbacher, played softball for the Nittany Lions…Grandfather, Warren Haffner, was the longtime registrar at Penn State…Plans on majoring in finance…Born July 10, 1993 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cornerback ➤ Atlanta, Ga. Haley made the most of his opportunities during his true freshman season, serving as the primary kick returner and earning his first career start at cornerback in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory. ● Named honorable-mention Big Ten All-Freshman by BTN.com after setting a school record with 32 kickoff returns and posting the second-most return yards in program history with 659 yards. ● More than just the fastest member of the squad, Haley nabbed his first career interception against Temple in 2014 and returned it for a touchdown. ● Haley continues to improve in the weight room and on the practice field and will be among the key contenders to fill the role left by Jordan Lucas, who moved from cornerback to safety this season. ● One of the Nittany Lions’ top students in the classroom, he owns a 3.40 cumulative grade-point average following the spring semester. ● Haley is the lone returning Nittany Lion from Georgia and one of eight returnees from the southwest. ●
➤ Career Notes & Records Broke the Penn State season record with 32 kickoff returns in 2014 (Chaz Powell, 27; 2011)…His 659 kickoff return yards in 2014 rank No. 2 on the school season list (Powell, 733 yards; 2011)…His first career interception was returned for a touchdown against Temple and was the first defensive touchdown scored by a Penn State true freshman since Paul Posluszny returned an interception against Indiana on the same date (Nov. 15) in 2003. ➤ 2014 ➤ True Freshman Season
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Awards: Honorable-mention BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. Season: Appeared in all 13 games, seeing time on defense and special teams…Made his first career start in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College…Served as the team’s primary kickoff returner…He averaged 20.6 yards per return, with a long return of 44 yards…Broke the Penn State season record with 32 kickoff returns (Chaz Powell, 27; 2011) and his 659 kickoff return yards rank No. 2 on the school season list (Powell, 733 yards; 2011)…On defense, logged 18 tackles (12 solo)…Grabbed one interception and returned it for a touchdown against Temple…One of three true freshmen to start on defense…Was among 16 Nittany Lions to make their first career start in 2014…Was one of nine true freshmen to make their debut during the season. UCF (8/30): Made his collegiate debut at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland…Returned four kickoffs for 118 yards…Opened the second half with a season-long 44-yard return. Akron (9/6): Returned one kickoff for 18 yards…Added his first two career tackles, making his first career stop on the punt coverage unit in the first quarter. At Rutgers (9/13): Made one tackle…Returned two kickoffs for 36 yards to earn the coaching staff’s Special Teams Player of the Week. UMass (9/20): Made a career-high three stops, including two on special teams… Returned one kickoff for 25 yards. Northwestern (9/27): Returned four kickoffs for 67 yards, including a 21-yarder…Added one tackle. At Michigan (10/11): Returned two kickoffs for a 16.0-yard average, including a long of 20 yards. Ohio State (10/25): Recorded a pair of tackles in the double-overtime game…Returned two kickoffs for a 17.5 average, including a long of 22 yards. Maryland (11/1): Tied his personal-best with three stops…Added four kickoff returns for a 19.0 average. At Indiana (11/8): Collected two special teams tackles…Also returned one kickoff and was selected the coaches’ Special Teams Player of the Week. Temple (11/15): Grabbed his first career interception and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to help Penn State become bowl eligible…His pick-six was the first defensive touchdown scored by a Penn State true freshman since Paul Posluszny returned an interception against Indiana on the same date in 2003…Added a career-best-tying three stops…Helped limit Temple to just 61 rushing yards and eight first downs, the fewest for a Penn State opponent since Indiana State had eight in 2011…Also returned three kickoffs for 72 yards, including a 31-yard return, to earn the coaches’ Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time. At Illinois (11/22): Returned one kickoff for 21 yards…Posted one pass breakup. Michigan State (11/29): Made one tackle… Returned five kickoffs for a 21.4-yard average. Boston College (12/27): Made his first career start at cornerback in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium…Helped limit the Eagles to just 97 yards passing…Also returned two kickoffs for a 19.0-yard average, with a long return of 24 yards. ➤ High School
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A four-year letterman as a standout two-way player for head coach Mike Muschamp at The Lovett School…A two-year team captain…Named the Associated Press Georgia Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year and the South Fulton All-Area Offensive Player of the Year as a senior…Compiled more than 1,500 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns as a running back and added six interceptions at cornerback during his final prep season...Led the Lions to the Georgia Class AA State Championship…Was named to the MaxPreps Small School All-America second-team in 2013…Selected to play in the Georgia Rising Senior Bowl and the Georgia East-West Bowl…Selected all-state as a junior and was a three-time team MVP…Rated as a three-star prospect by all four major recruiting services…Ranked among the nation’s top 50 defensive backs by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com…Also lettered four times in baseball, twice in basketball and twice in track and field…Earned a bronze medal on the National Latin Exam.
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➤ Personal Full name is Grant Dennis Haley…Son of Leon Haley Jr. and Carla Neal-Haley…Has one younger brother, Wesley, and one younger sister, Nichelle…Mother was a member of the Penn State track and field team…Plans on majoring in journalism to pursue a career in sports broadcasting or network television administration…Born January 6, 1996 in Southfield, Mich.
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