Defensive end Sean Stanley emerged as a competitor capable of making big plays on a consistent basis in 2011 and will be counted on for leadership and continued productive play during his senior season. He joins classmates Jordan Hill and Pete Massaro as the defensive line[apos]s most experienced returnees and players capable of being disruptive at the point of attack. A quick and elusive athlete, Stanley maintained his high level of play during spring drills and is atop the depth chart at one of the end positions. His combination of skills, speed and determination are a difficult matchup for the opposition. Last year, Stanley played an integral role on a Penn State defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally, playing in every game with six starts. He forced a team-high three fumbles, tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Stanley recorded 4.5 sacks for minus-27 yards, tied for second on the team and 14th in the conference, and made 30 hits, with 6.5 tackles for loss. Stanley demonstrated rare athleticism for a defensive end in the TicketCity Bowl, covering one of Houston[apos]s speedy receivers one-on-one 20 yards downfield and then leaping high into the air to break up an intended pass. The former Gaithersburg High School all-met standout is on schedule to graduate in May. Stanley is among 10 Nittany Lion returnees from Maryland.
2011 Junior Season
Playing in every game with six starts, Stanley emerged as a big-play performer, forcing a team-high three fumbles, tied for fourth in the Big Ten. He recorded 4.5 sacks for minus-27 yards, tied for second on the team and 14th in the conference with teammates Gerald Hodges and Devon Still. Stanley posted 30 tackles (20 solo), with 6.5 tackles for loss (minus-34), one fumble recovery, an interception and two pass breakups. In the non-conference road game at Temple, Stanley delivered his finest career game to date, helping hold the Owls to 10 points. He tied his career-high with five tackles (four solo), with 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack and forced two fumbles against the Owls. Stanley forced his third fumble of the season in the Leaders Division matchup at Indiana and recorded five tackles, including one for a loss. He made a sack in three consecutive conference games against Iowa, Purdue and Northwestern, with his hit against the Wildcats good for minus-11 yards. Stanley delivered another huge effort in helping hold Illinois to seven points in a tough division battle. He made three hits against the Illini, collected his first career fumble recovery and grabbed the first interception of his career in the second quarter. In the big road battle at Ohio State, Stanley posted four tackles (three solo) and in the regular-season finale at Wisconsin, he had two stops with 0.5 TFL. Stanley saw action on 497 snaps during his junior season, led by 62 at Indiana and 56 against Illinois.
2010 Sophomore Season
Playing in 11 games, Stanley recorded 11 tackles (six solo), with two for a loss (minus-seven yards) and a half-sack. He made starts against Kent State and Ohio State. Stanley recorded five tackles (three solo) in the season-opener against Youngstown State. He also returned a kickoff for 14 yards against the Penguins. He made a tackle for loss against Kent State and shared one against Alabama. He also was in on a sack in the historic comeback win over Northwestern. Stanley saw action on 320 snaps, led by 46 each in the wins over Michigan and Northwestern.
2009 Freshman Season
Stanley made his Penn State debut in the opener against Akron and played in 12 games. He recorded 11 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, with one forced fumble and a pass breakup. He delivered two sacks for minus-15 yards, dropping the quarterback in the wins over Illinois and Indiana. Stanley also forced Juice Williams to fumble on a sack and Jack Crawford recovered at the Illini 14-yard line in Penn State[apos]s win in Champaign. Stanley[apos]s season-high tackle total of two came against Akron, and was matched in the wins over Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State. He played on 160 snaps, topped by 23 in the victory at Michigan State.
High School
Stanley earned all-state, all-county and all-conference honors under Coach Kreg Kephart at Gaithersburg HS. He also received Washington Post first-team All-Met accolades after recording 27 sacks and more than 70 tackles for a loss during his career. In his senior season, he made 78 tackles, including 24 minus-yardage plays. He also recorded 12 sacks and forced five fumbles in 2008. As a junior, he recorded an incredible 37 tackles for loss, including 16 sacks, and forced nine fumbles. In addition to being a standout defensive lineman, Stanley also played running back and tight end. He was captain of the football and track and field teams. Rivals.com rated him the No. 14 overall player in Maryland after the 2008 season. He played in the Maryland Crab Bowl all-star game.
Personal
Full name is Sean Spencer Stanley. He is the son of Charles and Deborah Stanley. He enjoys music and cars. He is majoring in crime, law and justice. Born July 6, 1991 in Baton Rouge, La.