The naming of a starting quarterback wasn’t the only personnel move being made by first-year head coach Bill O’Brien Monday.
In the middle of last month, a report surfaced that the roller coaster career of wide receiver-turned-cornerback Curtis Drake had taken another downward turn, with rumors swirling that his status as a member of the Nittany Lions was very much up in the air due to academic issues.
That officially came to fruition today as O’Brien announced that Drake is no longer with the team and will not return. O’Brien did not give a specific reason for Drake’s departure, although the player confirmed to the Philadelphia Inquirer that the dismissal was indeed related to academics.
This move puts a exclamation point on Drake’s three years in Happy Valley, which included many more downs than ups. From July of 2010 through December of 2011, the receiver was cited for a fight with a PSU basketball player; suffered a second broken left leg; cited for a fight that occurred on St. Patrick’s Day; allegedly knocked McGloin out in a post-practice locker room fight; and didn’t travel with the team for its bowl game due to “personal reasons”.
When he was able to actually get on the field, Drake caught 13 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. He missed the entire 2010 season due to a broken leg suffered during the first week of preseason practice.
During spring practice, Drake had moved from receiver to corner and had drawn the praise of O’Brien for making a smooth transition.
