Penn State Football: State College’s Nate Stupar Selected in Seventh Round by Raiders

Former Penn State linebacker Nate Stupar didn’t waste any time announcing his new NFL team Saturday night.

“I’m a Raider!” the former State College High School star tweeted.

He was a seventh-round pick of Oakland, the 230th player taken overall.

Stupar, 6-foot-1, 234 pounds, is the second player from Centre County to be drafted in the past three years. Former Penn State linebacker Josh Hull, from Penns Valley, was a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010.

Stupar attended the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He was a major contributor to a Nittany Lions defense that ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in scoring defense last season, and he was the third-leading tackler with 80 stops.

He is the seventh Penn State linebacker since 2007 to be selected in the NFL Draft.

He will be joined on the Raiders’ roster by defensive end Jack Crawford, a fifth-round pick Saturday, free-agent cornerback signee Chaz Powell and offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, a second-rounder a year ago.

Stupar’s father, Steve, was an offensive and defensive lineman at Penn State in the late 1970s. His three uncles played for former Penn State coach Joe Paterno, including quarterback Jeff Hostetler, a one-time Raider who earned a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants.

Stupar’s brother, Jon, also spent two seasons with the Buffalo Bills after signing as an undrafted free agent following a solid career at Virginia. 

Related coverage:

• StateCollege.com’s Penn State football page

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