Grant Haley scooped up a ball that ricocheted off the hands of teammate Marcus Allen and raced past the Ohio State special teams unit for what became a game-winning touchdown in Penn State’s 2016 win over the Buckeyes. Haley’s career lasted nearly a decade longer, culminating in his retirement from football on Sunday.
“For over half my life, I gave everything I had to a dream that didn’t happen by accident but happened because of the values my parents, coaches, and mentors instilled upon me,” Haley said in a statement on Instagram. “I could not have done this alone and I am thankful for the support of those who know me beyond the helmet. I bent but never broke through the adversity life threw at me and gained respect from those who wanted to see me fail.”
The cornerback’s football journey saw great heights, not only in the victory over Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship that followed, but also a Super Bowl win with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
Haley appeared in 35 games over a five-year NFL career that began as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2018. Haley appeared in 25 games — starting in 12 — across two seasons for the Giants before playing a season with the New Orleans Saints and two with the Rams.
An Atlanta native, Haley joined the Nittany Lions as a three-star prospect in the 2014 recruiting class, James Franklin’s first as head coach, and was a full-time starter for three seasons. In addition to the legendary scoop-and-score, Haley and Allen came through with a clutch tackle on fourth and short to seal the Nittany Lions’ 2016 Big Ten Championship Game win against Wisconsin.
