Cradle of Tight Ends

Venango County has produced three tight ends who have played Power 5 football in the last 50 years.

Lou Fogle, Franklin, Clemson

Fogle (6-2, 225) was a tight end in high school, but played wide receiver in college, appearing in 30 games at Clemson. In 1964, he signed with the Montreal Alouettes and saw limited action for the Quebec Rifles and the Richmond Rebels that season. From there, he became a highly successful high school coach (Hall of Fame, Coach of the Year) in the Carolinas, using the "BFS" program -- bigger, faster, stronger -- to transform weak programs into powerhouses. His teams at 4A Asheville, NC., won 213 games. Another at Dorman High School in South Carolina went 41-18 in 3A and was a state runnerup.

Nate Byham, Franklin, Pitt

Known mainly for his blocking, Byham (6-4, 268) caught 11 passes for 83 yards in 29 games for San Francisco and Tampa Bay before a knee injury cut his pro career short. Byham was a sixth round draft choice out of Pitt. He then embarked on a college coaching career and is now offensive coordinator at Stanford.

Ben Koyack, Oil City, Notre Dame

A seventh-round draft pick, Koyack's four-year pro career was with one team -- Jacksonville. The 6-5, 258-pounder caught 25 passes for 208 yards in 48 games for the Jaguars. He had two memorable moments, the first with Notre Dame when he caught the game-winner in a 17-14 victory over Stanford in 2014. Then in 2018, his fourth down catch from Blake Bortles snapped a 3-3 tie in an NFL playoff game. (His high school career also included a dramatic game winner. It came against Sharon in his home finale. )