Paul Posluszny

Next spring, barring the unforeseen, Joe Paterno will be there when Penn State starts practice for 2007. The familiar routines and rhythms of another football season will begin to unfold. Mount Nittany will grow green again. But one fixture of a Happy Valley April will be absent: Paul Posluszny won't be on the practice field. The senior linebacker, who will be playing his last game today when Penn State takes on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, is football's equivalent of a gym rat. Teammates are convinced he is a permanent part of the practice field, like the goalposts, the yard markers or the blocking sleds.

Penn State linebacker Dan Connor, a former star at Strath Haven High, is one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top lineman or linebacker. Connor's selection gives Penn State a Lombardi semifinalist for the third consecutive year. All-American linebacker Paul Posluszny was a finalist in 2005 and 2006. The recipient will be named Dec. 5 at a dinner in Houston. Connor was a 2006 first-team all-American and a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.

Paul Posluszny, a Penn State junior linebacker, has been named a semifinalist for the 21st Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. Posluszny, a 6-foot-2, 234-pounder, made a career-high 22 stops in the Lions' 34-29 win at Northwestern on Sept. 24. The other semifinalists are: Chad Greenway, Iowa; Aaron Harris, Texas; Spencer Havner, UCLA; A.J. Hawk, Ohio State; D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland; Tim McGarigle, Northwestern; A.J. Nicholson, Florida State; DeMeco Ryans, Alabama; and Ernie Sims, Florida State.

The sport is college football, not hockey, but Penn State scored a hat trick of sorts last night when middle linebacker Dan Connor won the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive player. Connor's former teammate, Paul Posluszny, took home the prize in both 2005 and 2006. The award is named for former Penn and Eagles standout Chuck Bednarik. "It's the reason I went to Penn State. It's Linebacker U. To be mentioned in the same breath as Jack Ham, Paul Posluszny and Shane Conlan, that's an unbelievable honor in itself," Connor, a Strath Haven High product, said as his parents, Jim and Carol Connor, beamed during the College Football Awards show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Connor, who led the Big Ten with 136 total tackles, beat out Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who won the Outland Trophy as the premier interior lineman.

Here are the players with local affiliations who were drafted by NFL teams this weekend: Levi Brown                OT    Penn State          6-4       328            Arizona                  1               5th       Paul Posluszny             LB    Penn State          6-1      237            Buffalo (from Detroit)      2               34th   ...

After earning a share of the Big Ten football championship, No. 4 Penn State was a runaway winner yesterday as all-conference honors were announced. Joe Paterno was named Big Ten coach of the year by his peers after leading the Nittany Lions to a 10-1 record (7-1 in the conference). In his 40th season as head coach, Paterno owns a 353-117-3 record. Penn State claimed a share of the Big Ten title with a 31-22 win at Michigan State on Saturday, earning the conference's automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

Paul Posluszny and Penn State might not be matching their 2005 success, but for a second straight season, the linebacker from Aliquippa, Pa., is in contention for the Lombardi Award. The Nittany Lions senior co-captain was named Tuesday as one of 12 semifinalists for the award, which goes annually to the nation's top collegiate lineman or linebacker. Four finalists will be in announced early next month, and the winner will be named on Dec. 6. Last year, Posluszny was a finalist for the award, which went to another Big Ten linebacker, Ohio State's A.J. Hawk.

Penn State senior linebacker Dan Connor has been selected as one of 15 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player. Connor, a 6-foot-3, 237-pound senior from Wallingford, was a finalist last season, losing out to teammate and fellow linebacker Paul Posluszny, who won for the second straight year. Connor passed Posluszny on Saturday against Purdue as Penn State's all-time leader in tackles. He has 379 career stops. Three finalists will be announced in early December before the award is presented Dec. 6. Connor was previously named a semifinalist for the Butkus and Rotary Lombardi (top down lineman)

Penn State linebacker Dan Connor earned Big Ten defensive player of the week honors yesterday after leading a strong effort Saturday in the season-opening win over Akron. Connor became the fourth Nittany Lion to earn Big Ten defensive honors the last two seasons, joining senior linebacker Paul Posluszny (three selections) and a pair of 2005 seniors, defensive end Tamba Hali and cornerback Alan Zemaitis. A junior from Wallingford and a graduate of Strath Haven High School, Connor recorded 13 tackles (seven solo)

The toughest football player that Strath Haven faces every day in practice may provide the best preview of the toughest player the Panthers will face tonight in the PIAA Class AAA state championship game. The meeting between Strath Haven fullback/linebacker Dan Connor and Hopewell fullback/linebacker Paul Posluszny should be the matchup to watch. Both are impact players on both sides of the ball. Connor, a junior, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds. Posluszny, a senior who has committed to Penn State, is 6-3, 215. In their semifinal games last weekend, both players were nearly unstoppable.

His father and his uncle both played linebacker for Joe Paterno, so it seemed safe to assume that Mike Hull would become the third family member to roam that position under the watchful bespectacled eyes of the 83-year-old Penn State coach. And Hull left no doubt that's what he wanted to do, having told Paterno in person at Beaver Stadium before the Nittany Lions' final regular-season game of 2008. That's right, 2008, making him the first verbal commitment of the Class of 2010.

Josh Hull is no Rudy, although his tale has a Hollywood feel to it. For the Penn State linebacker, though, the story has just begun. Hull, a redshirt junior from nearby Millheim, Pa., walked on at Penn State three years ago. Last month he was finally awarded a scholarship, and just two weeks ago he was named the starting middle linebacker at Linebacker U. Not bad for a kid that fielded offers from Division I-AA and II schools as an...

Somewhere lost in the hoopla of Ohio State's national title hopes, Illinois' resurgence and Michigan's new coach, were Penn State's prospects for a big season. The Nittany Lions, after all, return 17 starters, both kickers and every starter along both lines from a 9-4 bowl winner. But this year's Big Ten preseason news conference had little to do with Penn State's contender status. There is still the unknown at quarterback, the loss of linebacker Sean Lee, a tough schedule, and one major off-the-field distraction.

If Sean Lee needs extra motivation in his return from a knee injury, all the Penn State linebacker has to do is head back to his hometown of Pittsburgh and emulate his little sister. Allie Lee suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee last fall while playing soccer. Sean Lee suffered the same injury to his right knee on Friday during a spring practice, ending his senior season before it even started. The good news is that Lee plans to redshirt and return for the 2009 season.

If Dan Connor doesn't make it in football - and there's no reason to think he won't - he could always have a future in runway modeling. Connor, the former Penn State linebacker, has been in Mobile, Ala., this week tuning up for today's Senior Bowl (4 p.m., NFL Network). The buildup, though, was more important as 104 NFL draft prospects used the six days of practice to impress pro coaches and scouts. According to various reports, Connor solidified opinions that he's a future first-round draft pick and a possible top-15 selection.

Penn State linebacker Dan Connor was selected a first-team All-America by the Associated Press. The Strath Haven product also was selected a second-team All-America by SI.com. Nittany Lions sophomore defensive end Maurice Evans (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned honorable mention recognition. Last week, Connor was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, the nation's oldest All-America team. He is Penn State's 91st first-team All-America selection and the 14th Nittany Lion to earn first team All-America honors twice.

Penn State linebacker Dan Connor has been named a first team all-American by the Associated Press. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound senior is the fifth Nittany Lions linebacker to earn back-to-back first-team honors. Last season, Connor was named to the first team by the Sporting News and also was on the AP second team. Last week, the former Strath Haven High star was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation all-American team. Connor also was awarded the Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player.

The sport is college football, not hockey, but Penn State scored a hat trick of sorts last night when middle linebacker Dan Connor won the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive player. Connor's former teammate, Paul Posluszny, took home the prize in both 2005 and 2006. The award is named for former Penn and Eagles standout Chuck Bednarik. "It's the reason I went to Penn State. It's Linebacker U. To be mentioned in the same breath as Jack Ham, Paul Posluszny and Shane Conlan, that's an unbelievable honor in itself," Connor, a Strath Haven High product, said as his parents, Jim and Carol Connor, beamed during the College Football Awards show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Connor, who led the Big Ten with 136 total tackles, beat out Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who won the Outland Trophy as the premier interior lineman.

Penn State senior linebacker Dan Connor has been selected as one of 15 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player. Connor, a 6-foot-3, 237-pound senior from Wallingford, was a finalist last season, losing out to teammate and fellow linebacker Paul Posluszny, who won for the second straight year. Connor passed Posluszny on Saturday against Purdue as Penn State's all-time leader in tackles. He has 379 career stops. Three finalists will be announced in early December before the award is presented Dec. 6. Connor was previously named a semifinalist for the Butkus and Rotary Lombardi (top down lineman)

STATE COLLEGE - It wouldn't be a huge shock if fans attending this Saturday's Penn State-Temple game saw Dan Connor holding a hand-lettered sign outside of Lincoln Financial Field that read, "Will tackle for tickets. " Now that he's the Nittany Lions' new career recordholder for tackles, the gold standard for individual accomplishment in Happy Valley, the senior linebacker and Strath Haven High graduate can busy himself this week accumulating items of a different sort. "I've been looking forward to [the Temple game]