Only Matt Lehman Until Penn State Football

First off, a shout to to Penn State’s current #84- Benjamin Wilson, a redshirt junior wide receiver out of Uniontown, Pa. Also, best of luck to #84 from the past few seasons, Juwan Johnson, who is now a member of the Oregon Ducks.

Today we take a look back at a former Nittany Lion tight end who played a vital role in keeping the program afloat while under severe scholarship restrictions. Lehman had an unusual route to becoming a member of the football team, starting his college career at Shippensburg University. However, after attending a game at Beaver Stadium he decided he wasn’t ready to give up on his football carer just yet. He transferred to Penn State and eventually made the team as a walk-on.

He went from walk-on to regular contributor in 2012 as he proved to be a perfect fit for Bill O’Brien’s tight end-friendly offense. He finished the season with 24 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns. And while it isn’t included in his stats, he scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Nebraska. On top of his accomplishments on the field, Lehman was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team.

Unfortunately, Lehman suffered a knee injury in the first game of the 2013 season that ended his Penn State career. There was plenty of excitement ahead for Lehman however, as he went on to become a member of a NASCAR pit crew.

We’re just 84 more days - or 12 more Saturdays - until the start of the 2019 Penn State Football season!