The hemorrhaging of talent has not stopped for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Since the heavy sanctions against the program, Penn State has lost eight players to transfers, two of them starters. Anthony Fera is the second starter to leave after the 1,200 yard rusher Silas Redd headed west to the University of Southern California. While the news may be hard for Penn State fans, it’s potentially great news for Texas.
With Jordan Tucker graduated, the longhorns had a huge hole to fill. Even with half a dozen players on the roster to take on the place kicking and punting duties, the position still had room for improvement. Fera ended his last season 17 of 21 in field goal attempts and averaged over 40 yards per punt. He comes to Texas with a very good opportunity to fill both roles.
According to Anthony Fera, the transfer was not just for his future career, but has personal reasons factored in. “Shortly before I arrived on campus, the most important person in my life was diagnosed with MS, making it more and more difficult to travel each weekend from Texas to see me play,” Fera said in a statement released by the Longhorns. “I’ve been afforded the opportunity to give back to my family and make their lives a little easier by transferring to a university much closer to home, The University of Texas.”
Fera shows anticipation for his new home in Texas, but does not regret his time at Penn State saying, “I will be giving my all to the Longhorns, but will always be pulling for my friends and Nittany Lions family as well.” We’ll be looking for great things from the newest member of the Longhorn family.