University Park, Pa. — The Penn State football team produced another outstanding academic performance during the spring semester, with 33 squad members earning at least a 3.0 grade point average.
Among the 33 Nittany Lions, 16 – nearly half – earned Dean’s List recognition by posting a 3.5 GPA or higher this past semester.
The superlative academic performance brings the number of returning Nittany Lion football student-athletes to 42 who had a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher through the spring semester.
Three Nittany Lions earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring semester: defensive end Pete Massaro (Newtown), kick snapper Jon Rohrbaugh (Ellicott City, Md.) and guard John Urschel (Williamsville, N.Y.). Massaro joined 2010 seniors Chris Colasanti and Stefen Wisniewski as first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American®. Colasanti made the Dean’s List in the spring and is on schedule to graduate in August.
Urschel has a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA through two years as a Penn State student-athlete and will be a strong candidate for Academic All-America® accolades this year. Senior linebacker Nate Stupar (State College) earned Dean’s List recognition with a 3.95 GPA in the spring and also will be a strong Academic All-America® candidate this fall.
Stupar and senior tackle Chima Okoli (Virginia Beach, Va.) are among eight returning Nittany Lions who earned their degrees in May. Okoli also earned Dean’s List honors this past spring.
Junior center Matt Stankiewitch (Orwigsburg) and junior linebacker Jamie Van Fleet (Williamsport) also earned Dean’s List honors during the spring semester. Both have cumulative GPAs above 3.3 and could be Academic All-America® candidates this fall.
Nine Nittany Lion true freshmen earned a 3.0 GPA or higher last spring, including four who made the Dean’s List: linebacker Brad Bars (Nashville, Tenn.), center Miles Dieffenbach (Pittsburgh), defensive tackle Luke Graham (Harrison City) and linebacker Mike Hull (Canonsburg).
Penn State again led the nation with three first-team Academic All-Americans® last year and has a nation’s best 15 Academic All-Americans® over the past five years (13 first-team). senior linebacker Chris Colasanti (Leonard, Mich.), sophomore defensive end Pete Massaro (Newtown Square) and senior guard Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville). Wisniewski became the first Penn State football student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® three times. Massaro and Wisniewski earned Dean’s List honors last Fall.
Penn State Football has had 49 Academic All-Americans® all-time (47 under Coach Joe Paterno), the third-highest total among all Football Bowl Subdivision institutions.