Story by
Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
Former Blue Mountain standout Joey Zelinsky declares for NFL Draft
- Story byRepublican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
- Former Blue Mountain standout Joey Zelinsky declares for NFL Draft
Schuylkill County native and former Blue Mountain standout Joey Zelinsky will be chasing his NFL dreams over the next several months.
Late last week, Zelinsky, a native of Cressona, announced that he has declared for the NFL Draft after spending one season with the Pittsburgh Panthers, three seasons with the Eastern Michigan Eagles, and one season at Hudson Valley Community College.
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Zelinsky played for Blue Mountain from 2018 through 2021 where he was an All-Area defensive lineman, including as a senior when he tallied 50 tackles, three sacks and one safety, while also recording a blocked field goal on special teams.
In his lone season with Pittsburgh, Zelinsky played in 12 of 13 games for the Panthers, recording 23 tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks. His best game of the season was a five-tackle performance against No. 9 Notre Dame on Nov. 15. He also had three tackles and half a sack against Stanford on Nov. 1.
During three seasons at Eastern Michigan, Zelinsky played in 36 games for the Eagles, recording 78 tackles, including 12.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
In total, for his collegiate career at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, Zelinsky played in 48 games and recorded 101 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
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Last year, former Blue Mountain standout and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 202nd overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings . Bartholomew would miss his entire rookie season due to injury.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 23 at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
