Raiders like what they see in St. Anthony's Hahn

BY ADAM RONIS | adam.ronis@newsday.com

April 29, 2008

Matt Hahn, a St. Anthony's graduate who played collegiately at Penn State, was signed by the Oakland Raiders Monday as an undrafted free agent. (The Associated Press / April 29, 2008)

Matt Hahn was having one of his best days carrying the ball for Penn State, with 43 yards on five carries against Indiana last Oct. 20. But on his final carry, a 14-yard gain in the fourth quarter, Hahn tore his right ACL, ending his college career.

The 6-foot, 236-pound fullback knew being drafted into the NFL was a long shot, but the injury derailed any hopes at all of his being selected.

It did not, however, deter him from continuing to pursue a pro football career. After an arduous rehab process, Hahn was signed by the Oakland Raiders yesterday as an undrafted free agent.

"I'm blessed that my opportunity came right away," said the Dix Hills product, who played for St. Anthony's. "I'm surprised how quickly it happened. The Raiders liked my film and gave me a chance. It couldn't have worked out better for me. I'm in a good spot."

Hahn, who turned 23 Friday, participated at pro day last month on a limited basis. He took the Wonderlic test, did bench-press reps and spoke with several coaches.

"It was tough to stay positive," he said. "It was easy in the beginning because I was still around my [college] teammates. Then you see guys getting ready for pro day and you can't do anything and it got frustrating. I was getting some positive feedback, but some teams weren't interested at all. I just had to continue my rehab."

Hahn, who rushed for 3,920 yards for St. Anthony's, said he can run, jump and cut right now, six months after surgery. He will attend the Raiders' rookie camp May 8 and expects to be fine because there will not be any contact. He said the knee is 95 percent at the moment and that he expects to be fully recovered for the start of training camp in July.

Hahn is lifting weights and doing agility drills. The process of rehabbing the knee has tapered off to a half-hour per day.

Hahn's contributions to a football team can't be completely measured in stats. He opens holes for running backs and catches passes out of the backfield. He was a key part of Penn State's offense, and although fullback isn't a glamorous position, he embraces the role.

"You have to be a guy without a big ego," he said. "You put personal accolades on the back burner. You let other people get the credit. I know I can play in the NFL. Now I have to prove it."

Jaguars take Cotrone. Anthony Cotrone, who played for Holy Trinity, signed a free-agent contract with Jacksonville. The 6-2, 255-pound H-back had 96 yards on 15 carries and eight catches for 55 yards in seven games for the University of Maine last fall. The Valley Stream product was a quarterback in high school and was the backup at Maine his first two seasons before switching in 2005. He visited Jacksonville two weeks ago. "I felt really comfortable there, especially with Mike Tice being from Long Island and I played with fullback Montell Owens at Maine," Cotrone said. "That will help me get adjusted quickly."