Troy Apke and Jordan Whitehead never played against each other in high school, but now both former WPIAL stars are headed to the NFC after being on opposite sides of the Pitt-Penn State rivalry.
Mt. Lebanon’s Apke (Penn State) and Central Valley’s Whitehead (Pitt) both became fourth-round NFL draft selections Saturday afternoon, with Apke going 109th overall to the Washington Redskins and Whitehead 117th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both are safeties.
Apke’s Ntitany Lions teammate, wide receiver Daesean Hamilton, was taken by the Denver Broncos with the 13th pick of the fourth round, while Avonte Maddox, a cornerback who shared the Panthers secondary with Whitehead, was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 25th pick in the round.