Sept. 2, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., - A quartet of senior standouts have been elected co-captains of the 2011 Penn State football team, which opens its season on Saturday.
Safety Drew Astorino (Edinboro), tackle Quinn Barham (Durham, N.C.), wide receiver Derek Moye (Rochester) and defensive tackle Devon Still (Wilmington, Del.) were selected by their teammates. The squad voted for captains last Monday.
Coach Joe Paterno begins his 46th season Saturday when Penn State hosts Indiana State in the first meeting between the schools. The contest will kick at 12:00 p.m. in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions return 15 starters and 43 letterwinners.
Astorino returns to a talented and veteran Penn State secondary, rated No. 1 in the Big Ten by www.espn.com. He was fourth on the squad with 70 tackles last season, tallied one interception and broke up five passes in a secondary that ranked second in the Big Ten in pass defense. The former General McLane High Schooll standout has started 24 games the past two seasons and 27 games in his career. He graduated in August.
Barham started all 13 games last season at left tackle and will lead and offensive line that will feature at least three seniors. The 6-3, 304-pound Barham was instrumental in helping Evan Royster run for more than 1,000 yards last season en route to becoming the Nittany Lions' career rushing leader. The former Hillside High school standout earned his degree in May.
A starter in 25 games the last two years, Moye has earned consensus pre-season first team All-Big Ten notice. A Biletnikoff Award candidate, he led the Nittany Lions in 2010 with 53 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, catching at least one scoring strike in seven of the last eight games. Moye averaged 16.7 yards per catch, second-highest in the Big Ten, and his 68.1-yard per game was good for fifth in the league.
Moye enters the season ranked 11th in Penn State annals with 104 receptions and 1,741 receiving yards. The former Rochester High School all-stater needs 22 catches and 266 yards to move into the top five in each category. The 6-5 Moye is on schedule to graduate in December.
Still returns after having a strong 2010 season, where he was the second leading tackler on the defensive line behind Ollie Ogbu recorded a team-high 10 tackles for a loss, including four sacks, which also was a team-best. A starter in 12 games last season, Still opened 2011 be recording a career-high seven tackles (six solo), with a team season-high 3.5 tackles for loss vs. Florida in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. The 6-5, 310-pound Still is on schedule to graduate in December.
Penn State launches its 125th season on Saturday. Tickets are available for five Nittany Lion home games - ISU, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Purdue and Illinois - at www.GoPSUsports.com or by calling 814-865-5555 weekdays from 9 a.m-5 p.m. The Indiana State game will air on Big Ten Network, the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com.