The years of hard work and improvement may be about to pay off for fifth-year senior Jake Fagnano in the form of increased playing time. The former Williamsport Area High School standout will be among the top candidates to earn a starting safety spot in preseason camp. Fagnano garnered significant repetitions during spring drills and the hard-hitting and instinctive player has put himself into a good position entering preseason camp. An economics major, Fagnano is on schedule to graduate in December. He is among 20 returning Nittany Lions from Central Pennsylvania.
2011 Senior Season
Fagnano appeared in every game for the second consecutive year, serving as a key contributor on special teams and also seeing action in a secondary that featured four senior starters. He recorded six tackles, with two stops in the big road battle at Ohio State and single hits in four other games. Fagnano logged a total of 114 snaps, led by 21 against Indiana State and 12 in the Big Ten opener at Indiana.
2010 Junior Season
Fagnano appeared in all 13 games as a safety and a key contributor on the special teams units. He recorded eight tackles, all coming in the second half of the season. When Nick Sukay suffered a season-ending injury against Illinois, Fagnano saw his playing time increase and he responded. He made his first two career stops during the momentum-building win at Minnesota. He assisted on a tackle in the primetime win over Michigan and made a pair of key stops on kickoff returns during the Nittany Lions[apos] thrilling 35-21 comeback victory over Northwestern. Fagnano added two more tackles against Ohio State and one in the win over Indiana at FedEx Field. Fagnano was on the field for 204 snaps, led by 48 at Minnesota and 24 against Michigan.
2009 Sophomore Season
Fagnano was a noted hard worker in practice and a productive member of the foreign team, but did not see any game competition.
2008 Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
High School
A four-year starter and letterman, Fagnano played offense and defense for coaches Tim Tompson and Tom Gravish (2007) at Williamsport Area HS. He recorded 31 catches for 621 yards and seven touchdowns with 76 tackles and two interceptions during his senior season. He also had a kick return for a 76-yard touchdown. Fagnano was selected all-conference and defensive player-of-the-year. He also played baseball for one year.
Personal
Full name is Jacob Andrew Fagnano. He is the son of Philip and Patti Fagnano and has two younger brothers, Jared and Joseph. His father was a pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies[apos] minor league system in the late 1980s. Off the field, Fagnano enjoys snowboarding and playing pool. He is majoring in labor studies and employment relations. Born September 22, 1989 in Williamsport, Pa.