University Park, Pa. — Penn State football student-athletes Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville) have been invited to participate in the National Football League’s 2011 Scouting Combine.
The 2011 NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 24-March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Royster, a running back, and Wisniewski, a guard, were instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions win 38 games, a Big Ten Championship and two bowl games over the past four seasons, with a pair of Top 10 rankings. The duo became Penn State’s seventh and eighth three-time All-Big Ten honorees last fall, joining former standouts Courtney Brown, Bobby Engram, Jeff Hartings, Brian Miller, Paul Posluszny and Alan Zemaitis on the distinguished list.
A 2009 first-team all-conference honoree, Royster became Penn State’s career rushing leader during the 2010 campaign, finishing his outstanding career with 3,932 yards. The previous mark was 3,398 yards by Curt Warner (1979-82). A three-year starter, Royster gained 98 yards against Florida in the 2011 Outback Bowl to become the first Nittany Lion with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, gaining 1,014 yards and six touchdowns, along with 25 receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown, this past season.
The former Westfield High School standout posted 15 career 100-yard rushing games, topped by 187 yards vs. Temple this past season, and the Nittany Lions were 15-0 when he cracked the century mark. Royster scored 29 career rushing touchdowns, with both marks tied for fifth in school history. His 686 career rushing attempts also are a Penn State record.
Royster earned his degree in management information systems.
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 CoSIDA Academic All-American®, earning first team honors from 2009 and 2010. He finished second in balloting for the 2010 Academic All-American® of the Year in college football. Wisniewski finished with a 3.90 cumulative grade point average, earning his degree in secondary education this past December.
Wisniewski gained six All-America recognitions following the 2010 season, earning first-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Scout.com. He also 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.
A starter in 38 of the last 39 games of his stellar career, Wisniewski earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2009 and 2010. The former Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School standout became 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).
The NFL Network (Ch. 180 and 275 on Comcast Cable in the Centre Region) will have coverage of the Scouting Combine daily from Feb. 24-March 1.
The NFL Draft is April 28-30, with the first round taking place on Thursday night.
There are 32 former Nittany Lions on NFL rosters, placing Penn State in the top 12 nationally among schools in producing current NFL players.
Super Bowl XLV marked the 40th time in the Super Bowl’s 45-game history that at least one Penn State alumnus was a member of one of the participating teams. Rookie tight end Andrew Quarless and safeties coach Darren Perry became the latest Nittany Lion alumni to earn a Super Bowl ring, with the Green Bay Packers’ victory over Pittsburgh.
More than 360 Nittany Lions have signed NFL contracts under Joe Paterno’s tutelage. The Hall of Fame coach has seen 245 of his players drafted by NFL squads, including 33 first round draft choices. Miami selected All-America defensive tackle Jared Odrick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Four Nittany Lions have been first round draft choices in the past five NFL drafts.
The Nittany Lions are 58-19 (75.3) since the start of the 2005 season, tied with Oregon for the nation’s No. 12 winning percentage over the past six years. Penn State has won 60 of its last 79 games overall, dating to the final two contests of the 2004 season.
The Nittany Lions return 16 starters for the 2011 season, (7 offense, 8 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience. Penn State opens its 125th season Sept. 3 vs. Indiana State in Beaver Stadium and Alabama visits Happy Valley on Sept. 10 for the first time since 1989.