➤ 2017 ➤ Senior Season
Awards: Earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten from the conference's media panel...Earned Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week honors on Sept. 12 after collecting an interception and five tackles vs. Pittsburgh...Earned the Ridge Riley Memorial Award at the annual team banquet, sharing the award which represents "sportsmanship, scholarship, leadership and friendship" with Andrew Nelson...Selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl...Named MVP of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl after posting seven tackles, forcing a fumble and grabbing an interception.
 
Season: Appeared in 13 games with 12 starts...Blocked his first career kick on a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter at Iowa (9/23)...Missed the first half at Maryland (11/25) due to a targeting call in the second half vs. Nebraska (11/18)...One of 21 Penn Staters to enter the Fiesta Bowl having already earned a degree.
Akron (9/2): Recorded three tackles, including one solo stop, all coming in the first half...Had one punt return for 3 yards in the fourth quarter, his first career punt return...One of eight players to be a part of three-straight seasons with a shutout (Illinois, 2015; at Rutgers, 2016; Akron, 2017), marking the longest such streak since a three-year span from 1989-91...Part of a defense that logged a season-opening shutout for the first time since 2007 (FIU, 59-0). Pittsburgh (9/9): Made five stops, including four solo...Collected his second career interception in the second quarter...Added a quarterback hurry in the third quarter. Georgia State (9/16): Totaled three tackles...Added one pass breakup...A part of a unit that posted its second shutout of the season, marking the first time since 2009 a Nittany Lion defense posted two shutouts in a single season. at Iowa (9/23): Blocked his first career kick on a fourth-quarter field goal attempt...Logged four tackles - three solo. Indiana (9/30): Totaled four tackles. at Northwestern (10/7): Made five tackles - all solo. Michigan (10/21): Had four tackles...Made a solo tackle for loss on a third-down tight end screen pass in the first quarter to force a punt...Part of a defense that held the Wolverines scoreless over the final 40:03 of the game. at Ohio State (10/28): Notched a career-high eight tackles, including six solo...Tied his career high with 1.0 tackle for loss, a solo stop behind the line of scrimmage on a swing pass in the second quarter...Also broke up one pass to tie a career high. at Michigan State (11/4): Tied his career high with eight tackles, including five solo...Added one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Rutgers (11/11): Made two stops...Part of a defense that allowed just 43 passing yards, the fewest in a game since giving up 32 vs. Army (2015)...The 43 passing yards are the fewest allowed by Penn State in Big Ten play...Held Rutgers to just seven pass completions, the second-fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions in a Big Ten game. Nebraska (11/18): Notched four tackles...Added one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. at Maryland (11/25): Made two tackles, playing only the second half due to a targeting call in the second half vs. Nebraska. vs. Washington (12/30): Totaled three tackles...Had a solo tackle for loss in the second quarter...Also broke up a pass.
➤ 2016 ➤ Junior Season
Season: Appeared in all 14 games, making his second career start vs. Minnesota (10/1)...Made a career-best 28 stops...Tied for sixth on the team in special teams tackles (5).
Kent State (9/3): Recorded one tackle. at Pitt (9/10): Made a combined special teams stop (N. Scott) in the first quarter. at Michigan (9/24): Posted four tackles. Minnesota (10/1): Logged six stops. Maryland (10/8): Made two tackles. at Purdue (10/29): Had one stop. Iowa (11/5): Grabbed his first career interception on the second play of the fourth quarter...Made one tackle. at Indiana (11/12): Made three stops...One stop came on kickoff coverage. at Rutgers (11/19): Made two tackles. Michigan State (11/26): Totaled a career-best seven tackles...Recovered his first career fumble late in the third quarter, which led to a Penn State touchdown two plays later.
➤ 2015 ➤ Sophomore Season
Season: Appeared in 13 games with one start...Started his first career game vs. Army (10/3)...Tied third on the team with eight special teams tackles (J. Dudas).
at Temple (9/5): Had one tackle on punt coverage. Buffalo (9/12): Recorded three tackles. Rutgers (9/19): Forced his first career fumble in the fourth quarter...Made one tackle. San Diego State (9/26): Saw his most extensive action on defense...Logged three tackles. Army (10/3): Made a season-high five tackles in his first collegiate start...Was a part of a defensive that limited Army to one pass attempt, the fewest by a Penn State opponent since at least 1966, and one completion, the fewest since 1976 (Ohio State)...The one completion tied for the fewest by a team in FBS in 2015 (by Georgia Southern vs. Western Michigan & by Boston College vs. Syracuse)...Helped hold Army to just 32 passing yards, the fewest against the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten era (since 1993). Indiana (10/10): Made three tackles...Helped snap Indiana’s string of nine games in which the Hoosiers scored 20-plus points...Part of a defense that held Indiana to 234 yards of total offense, the fewest allowed by PSU since giving up 221 at Indiana in 2014...Led a secondary that limited the Hoosiers’ 155 passing yards, the fewest allowed by Penn State in a Big Ten game since allowing 68 to Indiana in 2014. at Ohio State (10/17): Made one tackle on punt coverage. vs. Maryland (10/24): Had one tackle. Illinois (10/31): Made two tackles. Michigan (11/21): Had one pass breakup. at Michigan State (11/28): Tied a season high with five tackles. vs. Georgia (1/2): Made one tackle.
➤ 2014 ➤ True Freshman Season
Season: Appeared in six games...Participated on all four special teams units and on defense...Was one of nine true freshmen to make their debut in 2014.
Maryland (11/1): Made his collegiate debut on special teams. at Indiana (11/8): Made his first career tackle on the kickoff coverage team in the third quarter. Temple (11/15): Saw his most extensive action, playing 27 snaps. at Illinois (11/22): Provided the key block on a fake punt that helped spring Brad Bars for a 32-yard run and a first down.
➤ High School
A three-year letterman at Mt. Lebanon High School for head coach Mike Melnyk...Recorded 40 catches for 728 yards and seven receiving touchdowns as a senior, earning first-team Class AAAA all-state and All-Southeastern Conference honors...Added 103 yards rushing and one score, along with 59 stops at safety to attain Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 honors...Invited to play in the Big 33 Classic following his senior season...A record-breaking junior campaign included a Blue Devils’ school record for receiving yards (1,048) and receiving touchdowns (13) in a season, all on just 45 catches...Garnered second-team Class AAAA all-state, first-team all-conference and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette South Fab 22 honors as a junior...Compiled 273 yards on 11 catches against Woodland Hills in 2012 for the fifth-best receiving yardage performance in PIAA history and school marks in both categories...Rated a three-star recruit by all four major recruiting services and was ranked as a Top 12 recruit in the state of Pennsylvania by ESPN (8th), Rivals (12th) and 247Sports (9th)...Was a standout for the track and field team and lettered once in basketball...Won the WPIAL 100-meter title as a senior (10.81) and finished fifth at the 2014 PIAA Class AAAA Track and Field Championships...Helped the 4x100 relay team advance to the state championships as a junior and senior.
➤ Personal
Full name is Troy Stephen Apke...Son of Steven and Susan Apke...Has one older brother, Sam, and two older sisters, Chelsea and Tess...Is the fifth member of his immediate family to compete in college athletics...His father and mother both attended the University of Pittsburgh and competed in football and track and field, respectively...Chelsea played basketball at Washington & Jefferson, attaining first-team All-PAC and third-team all-region honors...Tess was a two-time All-NEC selection as a member of the Robert Morris softball program, earning first-team All-NEC accolades in 2014...Majoring in criminology...Born April 11, 1995 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.