Jan. 2, 2016
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Defensive tackle Austin Johnson (Galloway, N.J.) will forgo his final year of eligibility with Penn State to enter the NFL Draft. The 2015 All-Big Ten second team selection started every game each of the last two seasons and 28 contests overall in his career. Johnson graduated in December, earning his degree in journalism in just three and a half years.
"After much thought and consideration with my family, I have decided that the best decision for me is to forgo my senior season at Penn State," Johnson said. "I want to thank Nittany Nation for your support over the last three years. My love for Nittany Nation will be with me always.
"I want to thank all of the coaches who have helped me throughout my college career. I would like to thank Coach [Joe] Paterno and Coach [Larry] Johnson for opening the door for me to attend Penn State and thank you to Coach [Bill] O'Brien for being the rock of the program in a time of need. I would also like to thank Coach [James] Franklin and Coach [Sean] Spencer for supporting me to excel in my position.
`Last but not least, my teammates. Thank you for always being there for me. I will carry my pride as a Nittany Lion with me always."
"Austin has been an impact player on this team and leader for us on defense," Penn State head coach James Franklin said. "We appreciate all of his contributions to the program. He has also excelled off the field, earning his degree in just three and a half years. We're excited to see him continue his career in the NFL and wish him nothing but success."
The native of Galloway, New Jersey earned All-Big Ten second team honors from the media and third team honors from the coaches this season. He also collected All-Big Ten first team accolades from BTN.com and ESPN.com.
Johnson has been a force up front for the Nittany Lions with 78 tackles, which is third on the team. He also has 6.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss this season. His 78 stops are third among defensive tackles in FBS and the most by a Nittany Lion defensive lineman since Jimmy Kennedy had 87 stops in 2002. Johnson has four outings this season with at least nine tackles. Johnson is also second on the team with 13.0 tackles for loss. He registered his first career touchdown with a 71-yard fumble return. The fumble recovery was the fourth of his career and Penn State's first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Mike Hull's 74-yard return vs. Navy in 2012. He tallied a career-high 10 tackles, including eight solo stops, at Northwestern. He also had a sack and two tackles for loss against the Wildcats.
The athletic defensive tackle finishes his Penn State career with 154 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 24.0 TFLs. He also had four fumble recoveries and five pass breakups in his career. He has started every game for the last two seasons.
Penn State season ticket renewals and Nittany Lion Club membership renewals also are underway for the 2016 campaign. The ticket invoice and Nittany Lion Club renewal deadline is Feb. 1, 2015. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2016 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.