Brett Brackett emerged as a leader of a talented, but youthful corps of Nittany Lion receivers during the 2009 campaign. He was one of the few wideouts with significant playing time heading into last season and he will be looked to for leadership and production during his fifth-year senior season. In April, the coaching staff selected the talented and hard-working Brackett and tackle Quinn Barham as co-recipients of the Red Worrell Award, presented to the offense[apos]s most improved player in spring practice. In 2009, Brackett was named winner of the team[apos]s Frank Patrick Total Commitment Award. A December 2009 graduate, Brackett has found a home as a wide receiver after arriving in Happy Valley after earning all-state honors as a quarterback at Lawrence HS. The instinctive and intelligent student-athlete is a productive and dependable member of the offense and special teams. A strong and reliable blocker, Brackett has very good size and skills and should be a significant contributor. The highly-skilled and reliable target presents matchup problems for opposing secondaries and has played an instrumental role on short-yardage and goal line situations. Brackett has been one of the squad[apos]s most active members in leadership and community service throughout his Nittany Lion career. He is the president of Penn State[apos]s Uplifting Athletes chapter, whose signature event is the Penn State Lift for Life in July, raising funds and awareness for the Kidney Cancer Association. He plays an instrumental role in organizing the team[apos]s annual Lift for Life and other events to raise awareness of rare diseases. The July 2009 event raised a record $81,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association, bringing the team[apos]s total to more than $400,000 raised since the inaugural event in 2003. Brackett is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and he compiled a 3.83 grade-point average last fall for Dean[apos]s List honors. He is on schedule to earn his second undergraduate degree, in economics, in December. Brackett is one of nine returning Nittany Lions from New Jersey.
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2009 Senior Season
Playing in every game, Brackett[apos]s three catches for 13 yards and one touchdown were not indicative of the impact he made on the Nittany Lion offense. He helped Penn State convert 48 percent of its third-down opportunities, which led the Big Ten and ranked eighth nationally. He also played a direct role in helping the offense convert 88 percent of its Red Zone visits into points. Brackett made a two-yard touchdown catch against Eastern Illinois. He also had a reception against Akron and a season-long 18-yard catch against Indiana. He was on the field for 156 snaps, led by 27 against Indiana. At the 2009 Blue-White game, Brackett was named winner of the team[apos]s Frank Patrick Total Commitment Award. The award goes to junior class squad members who consistently follow through with their responsibilities in all facets of the football program and do so in an exemplary manner.
2008 Junior Season
Playing in every game, Brackett emerged as a reliable target. He was sixth on the squad with 13 receptions for 160 yards and one touchdown, finishing the season by making three catches against Southern California in the 2009 Rose Bowl. With the Nittany Lions frequently employing four and five wideout sets, Brackett made starts against Coastal Carolina, Syracuse, Purdue and Wisconsin. He gained 25 yards on two catches in the opener against Coastal Carolina, including a 16-yard grab. Brackett caught his first career touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Daryll Clark, opening the scoring for Penn State in its 45-3 win over Temple. He made two catches for 32 yards against the Owls. In the win at Purdue, Brackett caught two passes for 31 yards and he made one catch for 20 yards at Wisconsin, suffering a mild concussion on the play. He also made one catch for 18 yards at Ohio State. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the second time. At the 2009 Blue-White game, Brackett was named winner of the team[apos]s Frank Patrick Total Commitment Award. The award goes to junior class squad members who consistently follow through with their responsibilities in all facets of the football program and do so in exemplary manner. This includes academic pursuits, off-season preparation, in-season commitment, demeanor and community service.
2007 Sophomore Season
Brackett made his first collegiate reception, good for 16 yards, in the 27-7 win over Iowa. He also had three tackles on special teams, with solo stops against Florida International and Michigan. Playing in every game, he saw action on 139 snaps, led by 21 against Buffalo and 17 against Iowa. Brackett earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
2006 Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
High School
At Lawrence HS, Brackett played football, basketball and baseball, earning nine letters. He started all four years in football and basketball and was the starting quarterback his last three years. As a senior under Coach Rob Radice, Brackett was team captain and earned third-team all-state honors, was named Mercer County Player-of-the-Year and Colonial Valley Conference MVP. As a senior, Brackett threw for 1,669 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 65 percent of his passes, and ran for eight scores. He threw for 3,847 yards and 46 touchdowns in his career and rushed for 23 TDs for a total of 69 career touchdowns. Brackett was instrumental in leading Lawrence to conference titles in 2004 and [apos]05. In 2006, he played in the Governor[apos]s Bowl, along with future Penn State classmates Lou Eliades and Cedric Jeffries, helping New Jersey to a 30-6 victory over New York.
Personal
Full name is Brett Michael Brackett. He is the son of Bob and Diana Brackett. He has two younger brothers, Nick and Bobby, and one younger sister, Danielle. Brackett enjoys music and spending time with his family. A marketing major in the Smeal College of Business, Brackett earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the second time in 2008. Born December 13, 1987 in New Brunswick, N.J.
Brackett[apos]s 2008 Game-by-Game
Receiving (Catches-Yards-TD)
Coastal Carolina 2-25-0; Oregon State 0-0; Syracuse 1-6-0; Temple 2-32-1; Illinois 0-0; Purdue 2-31-0; Wisconsin 1-20-0; Michigan 0-0-0; Ohio State 1-18-0; Iowa 1-7-0; Indiana 0-0-0 ; Michigan State 0-0-0; USC 3-21-0.