University Park, Pa. — Penn State guard Stefen Wisniewski’s list of All-America honors has risen to six with his selection to the Associated Press and Scout.com All-America teams.
Scout.com named the senior standout a first-team All-American, joining his first-team honor from the American Football Coaches Association. Wisniewski was selected an Associated Press second-team All-American, joining previous second-team accolades from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBSsports.com and Rivals.com.
Penn State has had at least one Associated Press All-American in each of the past six seasons.
A starter in 37 of the last 38 games, Wisniewski is the 81st Penn State football student-athlete to earn first team All-America recognition, a total of 95 times, dating back to W.T. (Mother) Dunn’s selection to the Walter Camp All-America squad in 1906.
From Bridgeville, Pa., Wisniewski is the Nittany Lions’ 78th first team All-American under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. Penn State has had at least one All-American in 40 of his 45 years as head coach, with nine first team All-America honorees in the past six seasons.
Wisniewski becomes the 11th Nittany Lion offensive lineman to earn first team All-America accolades since 1966, a group that includes his uncle, Steve Wisniewski, who was so honored in 1987 and ’88. Stefen Wisniewski’s father, Leo, was a standout defensive lineman for Penn State from 1978-81.
During the past six seasons, five Nittany Lion offensive linemen have been selected All-America a total of six times: Levi Brown (2005, ’06), A.Q. Shipley and Rich Ohrnberger (2008), Dennis Landolt (2009) and Wisniewski (2010).
Wisniewski is among the most distinguished Penn State Football student-athletes in the program’s 124-year history. He is the first Nittany Lion Football student-athlete to be selected a three-time ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-American, repeating his first team honors from 2009. He finished second in balloting for the 2010 Academic All-American® of the Year in college football.
The former Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School standout is the first Nittany Lion to earn first team All-America and Academic All-America® accolades in the same season since another former Western Pennsylvania standout, linebacker Paul Posluszny(2005 and ’06).
Wisniewski has started every game this season at right guard, after starting all 13 games at center in 2009. He has been instrumental in the Nittany Lions allowing only 12 sacks all season, good for No 2 in the Big Ten and tNo. 14 nationally.
A 2009 and ’10 first team All-Big Ten selection, Wisniewski joined classmate Evan Royster as Penn State’s seventh and eighth three-time all-conference honorees.
Wisniewski is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College, has a 3.91 grade point average in secondary education and is on schedule to graduate this month.
Wisniewski has earned four additional prominent athletic/academic/community service honors this fall: – National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete ($18,000 post-graduate scholarship). Finalist for William V. Campbell Trophy. – Allstate AFCA Good Works Team – Among 10 finalists for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for college football – Among 10 finalists for Wuerffel Trophy
Penn State will clash with Florida in the 25th Outback Bowl at 1:00 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Paterno’s squad will be meeting a Southeastern Conference opponent in a bowl game for the third time in the past six years and will be seeking its fifth bowl victory since 2005.
The Nittany Lions will be making their 37th post-season trip under Paterno, who is the all-time leader in bowl wins (24) and appearances. Paterno will be taking a team to a 25th New Year’s bowl game, having compiled a superlative 17-7 mark. Penn State is 3-0 in the Outback Bowl, beating Tennessee in the 2007 contest in its last appearance.
The Outback Bowl is the only 2010-11 bowl game featuring two head coaches who have won a national championship, with Paterno and Florida’s Urban Meyer both earning two national titles.
For Outback Bowl ticket information, go to www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets. Tickets also are available by calling 814-865-5555 weekdays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.