June 23, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; June 23, 2011 - Linebacker Michael Mauti (Mandeville, La.) and wide receiver Derek Moye (Rochester) lead the list of 14 Nittany Lion named to the pre-season All-Big Ten Teams by Phil Steele's College Football Preview. Moye and Mauti earned pre-season first-team All-Big Ten honors. Penn State landed two players on the second team - punt returner/wideout Devon Smith (White Plains, Md.) and linebacker Gerald Hodges (Paulsboro, N.J.). Six Nittany Lions were selected third team all-conference and four were on the fourth team.
A redshirt junior this fall, Mauti will be a leader for the defense, which returns seven starters. Despite missing all or parts of four games in 2010 with injuries, he finished fifth on the team with 67 tackles. Mauti started seven games, recording 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He recorded a career-high 11 tackles, with 3.0 TFL, in the historic comeback win over Northwestern to earn Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Mauti broke his career-high in tackles in three consecutive games last season, topped by the effort against the Wildcats.
Moye had a superb junior season in 2010, leading the Nittany Lions with a career season-bests with 53 receptions, 885 yards and eight touchdowns, recording at least one touchdown catch in seven of the last eight games. His 16.7 yards per catch average was second-highest in the Big Ten and his 68.1 yards per game was good for fifth in the conference.
A 2010 honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection, Moye enters the season 11th in Penn State history with 104 receptions and 1,741 career receiving yards. He needs just 22 catches and 266 yards to move into the Top 5 in both categories.. In addition to Moye, three other Nittany Lions were recognized by Phil Steele's Preview on the offensive side of the ball. Sophomore running back Silas Redd (Norwalk, Conn.) received third team honors and senior linemen Johnnie Troutman (Brown Mills, N.J.) and Quinn Barham (Durham, N.C.) were named fourth team.
In addition to Mauti and Hodges, five additional Nittany Lions earned Phil Steele's defensive recognition. Four players earned third team defensive honors, including senior tackle Devon Still (Wilmington, Del.), senior end Jack Crawford (Longport, N.J.), senior cornerback D'Anton Lynn (Celina, Texas), senior safety Nick Sukay (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.). Senior safey Drew Astorino (Edinboro) was a fourth team selection.
Among the special teams, sophomore punter Anthony Fera (Cypress, Texas) was selected third team. Senior Chaz Powell (New Freedom, Pa.), who was selected as a kick returner on the fourth team.
Entering their 125th season, the Nittany Lions return 41 letterwinners and 15 starters for the 2011 season, (7 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience.
Since the start of the 2005 season, Penn State has earned a 58-19 record, with its 75.3 winning percentage among the top 10 percent in the nation. Over the past six years the Nittany Lions have won two Big Ten Championships, won four bowl games and played in five New Year's or Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games, the nation's third-highest total.
Season tickets are available for the 2011 season. The Nittany Lions will face four teams that played in a bowl games last year at home. Among the teams coming to Beaver Stadium this fall are: Alabama (Sept. 10), Iowa (Oct. 8), Purdue (Oct. 15-Homecoming), Illinois (Oct. 29) and Nebraska (Nov. 12). All Penn State fans are encouraged to wear white to the Crimson Tide's first visit to Happy Valley since 1989.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can call 1-800-648-8269 (1-800-NITTANY). Penn State Athletics is on Twitter (http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions).