April 30, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Penn State cornerback/kick returner A.J. Wallace (Waldorf, Md.) has signed with the Miami Dolphins on the heels of the six Nittany Lions that were selected in last weekend's National Football League Draft.
Wallace is the second of the several Nittany Lions that are expected to sign free agent contracts with NFL teams, bringing the number of Nittany Lions drafted or signed this year to eight. First team All-Big Ten tackle Dennis Landolt signed with New York Giants earlier this week. The signings will be announced as NFL teams make their announcements.
A starter in 12 career games during the past three seasons, Wallace joins former Nittany Lion teammate Jared Odrick and former Penn State linebacker Cameron Wake on the Dolphins' roster. A defensive tackle, Odrick was Miami's first round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. Miami's rookie mini-camp begins Friday.
Wallace recorded 36 tackles (20 solo) this past season, with one tackle for loss. He made a team-high three interceptions, including a diving pick in the win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day. Wallace also had three pass break-ups. He made one of the biggest defensive plays of the season when he made the initial hit on Minnesota's Kevin Whaley on a fourth-and-goal running play from the Penn State one to preserve Penn State's 20-0 Homecoming win.
A U.S. Army All-American at the McDonough School, Wallace ranks among the most prolific kick returners in school history. He averaged 24.0 yards on his 47 career kickoff returns, accumulating 1,128 yards and one touchdown. Wallace's 581 kickoff return yards in 2007 are a Penn State season record and he has the Nittany Lions' last kickoff return touchdown, going 97 yards vs. Ohio State in 2007.
In the 2010 NFL Draft, six Penn State players were selected, the most since having six in the 2006 NFL Draft and tied with Iowa for highest among Big Ten Conference schools. Penn State was tied for fifth nationally for the highest number of draft picks.
Defensive tackle Jared Odrick (1st, Miami), linebacker Sean Lee (2nd, Dallas), linebacker Navorro Bowman (3rd, San Francisco), tight end Andrew Quarless (5th, Green Bay), tight end Mickey Shuler (7th, Minnesota) and linebacker Josh Hull (7th, St. Louis) were the Nittany Lions selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. All three of "Linebacker U's" starters were drafted, pushing Penn State's total of linebackers selected to six in the past four drafts.
With the six selections last weekend, 245 Nittany Lions have been drafted under Hall of Fame Coach Joe Paterno and more than 350 of his players have signed NFL contracts.
The 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Odrick was the 36th Nittany Lion to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, 33 of whom have played for Paterno. A 2009 first team All-American, Odrick was the eighth Nittany Lion to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft over the past seven years.
Penn State Football will hold its 36th annual summer camps in June. The camps feature two offense / defense skills and fundamentals camps for athletes entering 8th-12th grade in the fall, to be held June 20-23 and June 27-30. A "seniors only" camp will be held June 25-26, Penn State's popular 7-on-7 team passing camp will be held June 18-19 and a placekicking camp is June 4-5.
For more information on the Penn State Football Camps, please visit: www.pennstatefootballcamps.com or call the Penn State sports camps office at 814-865-0561.