? 2016 ? Senior Season
Awards: Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten from the conference coaches & media panel...Named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week following his performance at Indiana (11/12)...Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after his showing at Rutgers (11/19)...Named Academic All-Big Ten for the fourth time in his career...Won the Dick Maginnis Memorial Award (outstanding offensive lineman) and was honored with the Captain's Award at the annual Nittany Lion Football Banquet.
Season: Started all 14 games...Named team captain...Moved from guard to center during spring practice...Has played defensive tackle (2013), offensive guard (2014 & 2015) and center (2016) in his career...Was the only player on the offensive line to play the same position the entire season.
Kent State (9/3): Started at center for the first time in his career...Helped pave the way for Saquon Barkley's 105-yard rushing effort and protected Trace McSorley, who posted his first career 200-yard passing game. at Pitt (9/10): Part of an offensive line that cleared the way for Saquon Barkley's four rushing touchdowns...Blocked for Trace McSorley's 332 passing yards, which ranks No. 16 in Penn State single game history. Temple (9/17): Part of a line that didn't allow a sack...Paved the way for three rushing touchdowns...Protected Trace McSorley in his third career 200-yard passing effort. at Michigan (9/24): Helped Saquon Barkley move into the top-30 on the career rushing list...Protected Trace McSorley, who threw a touchdown pass in his fifth straight game. Minnesota (10/1): Helped Penn State to 471 yards of total offense, the most since racking up an identical total vs. Rutgers in 2015...Protected Trace McSorley to the tune of 408 yards of total offense (335 passing, 73 rushing), the third-highest total in school history. Maryland (10/8): Paved the way for 372 total rushing yards, the third-highest total for a Penn State team in Big Ten play and fourth-most in a game and fourth-most in any game for Penn State in the last 20 years...Guided the offense to 524 total yards, the most since 2014 vs. UCF (511) and the most in Big Ten play since 2012 vs. Indiana (546). Ohio State (10/22): Cleared the way for Saquon Barkley's 99 rushing yards. at Purdue (10/29): Helped Penn State gain more than 500 total yards, ending the game with 511...Blocked for Saquon Barkley's 207 rushing yards and Trace McSorley's 228 yards passing...Helped Penn State score eight offensive touchdowns in the game...Integral part of Penn State scoring 62 points, its most points since scoring 66 vs. Coastal Carolina in 2006 and the most in a Big Ten game since tallying 63 vs. Illinois in 2005. Iowa (11/5): Blocked for a 167-yard rushing effort by Saquon Barkley and a 240-yard passing night for Trace McSorley...Helped Penn State to 599 yards of total offense, the most since recording 661 yards at Rutgers (1995) and the highest total offense output by Penn State against a Big Ten team since 653 yards against Michigan State (1994)...Overall Penn State rushed for 359 yards...His efforts enabled the Nittany Lions to go 7-of-14 on third down and the offense did not have a single three-and-out in the game. at Indiana (11/12): Helped protect Trace McSorley during his 332-yard passing game, the third of his career - all coming in 2016. at Rutgers (11/19): Helped Penn State pile up eighth game of 400-plus yards and the fourth game in 2016 with at least 500 yards...Protected Trace McSorley to the tune of 210 yards passing, his eighth 200-yard passing game of the season. Michigan State (11/26): Instrumental in Penn State gaining 463 yards of total offense, its ninth game with at least 400 yards...Helped Trace McSorley pile up 389 yards of total offense, the sixth-most in program history...McSorley threw for 376 yards - the fifth-highest total in school history - with four touchdown passes and rushed for 13 yards. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Helped Penn State score 38 points, the most scored by a Wisconsin opponent since 2014 (Ohio State, 59)...Protected quarterback Trace McSorley, who threw for 384 yards, which ranks No. 4 in Penn State history and broke the Big Ten Championship game passing record...Also gave McSorley time to connect on a Big Ten Championship game-record four passing touchdowns...Paved the way for Saquon Barkley's 83 yards rushing, which enabled him to break Evan Royster's Penn State sophomore rushing record. vs. USC (1/2): Helped Penn State become the first team in Rose Bowl history with a 175-yard rusher and receiver in a game (Chris Godwin, 187 receiving and Saquon Barkley, 194 rushing)...Barkley and Godwin broke the Penn State bowl records for rushing yards and receiving yards in a bowl game, respectively...Penn State's 465 yards of total offense are fourth in the school's bowl history and the most since the 1996 Outback Bowl (487)...Protected Trace McSorley to the tune of 254 yards, including a Penn State bowl-record-tying four touchdown passes.
? 2015 ? Junior Season
Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten.
Season: Started 13 games...Was the only Penn State offensive lineman to start every game in 2015.
at Temple (9/5): Helped Akeel Lynch run for 78 yards and one touchdown. Buffalo (9/12): Helped Penn State pile up 200 yards rushing...Was a part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack for the first time since the 2013 season finale victory at Wisconsin. Rutgers (9/19): Paved the way for a pair of 100-yard rushers: Saquon Barkley (195 yards) and Akeel Lynch (120)...Helped Barkley and Lynch become first Penn State tandem to rush for 100-yard since Lynch (108) and Bill Belton (108) passed the century mark against Eastern Michigan...Helped the backfield collect a pair of 100-yard rushers in a Big Ten game for the first time since 2010 (Northwestern) when Evan Royster (134) and Silas Redd (131) topped the mark...The 330 yards rushing by Penn State were the most since the Nittany Lions ran for 338 at Illinois in 2009...The Nittany Lions rushed for 200 or more yards in consecutive games for the first time since 2009 at Illinois (338) and vs. Eastern Illinois (285)...The 471 yards of total offense were the most since Penn State had 511 in 2014 against UCF in the Croke Park Classic. San Diego State (9/26): Helped protect Christian Hackenberg, who threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Indiana (10/10): Protected Christian Hackenberg during his 17th career 200-yard passing game (262 yards), which allowed him to become the second quarterback in Penn State history to amass 7,000 yards passing in a career...Helped Penn State control the ball for 35:35, its most in a Big Ten game since having 36:29 against Purdue in 2013. at Ohio State (10/17): Helped pave the way for Saquon Barkley's 194 yards rushing, the third-highest total by a true freshman...Protected Christian Hackenberg who threw for 120 yards and one touchdown. vs. Maryland (10/24): Protected Christian Hackenberg to the tune of 315 yards and three touchdown passes...Helped the offense pile up 363 yards of total offense...The offense posted nine pass plays of 20-plus yards, including all three touchdown passes. Illinois (10/31): Started on the offensive line that helped Christian Hackenberg throw for 266 yards and break a tie with Matt McGloin for the most 200-yard passing games in school history with his 19th career 200-yard passing effort. at Northwestern (11/7): Blocked for 100-yard rusher Saquon Barkley and 200-yard passer Christian Hackenberg...The 205 yards passing by Hackenberg extended his school record to 20 such contests. Michigan (11/21): Helped protect Christian Hackenberg, who threw his school-record-tying 46th career touchdown pass...Blocked for Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 68 yards, including a career-long-tying 56-yard scamper. at Michigan State (11/28): Blocked for Saquon Barkley's fifth 100-yard rushing effort of the season...Barkley broke the Penn State freshman season rushing record and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season...Protected Christian Hackenberg for his school-record extending 21st career 200-yard passing effort...Hackenberg also tossed two touchdown passes to take over the top spot on PSU's career passing touchdowns list with his 47th and 48th career scoring strikes, breaking a tie with Matt McGloin (46, 2009-12).
? 2014 ? Sophomore Season
Awards: Recognized by the coaching staff for his efforts during spring ball in 2014, Gaia was selected as the recipient of the Red Worrell Award, presented to the offense's most improved player...Named Academic All-Big Ten for the second time in his career.
Season: Appeared in and started 12 games at guard after making the move from the defensive line to the offensive line in the spring...All 12 of his starts came at right guard...Instrumental in protecting quarterback Christian Hackenberg in the passing game and blocking for the trio of successful running backs: Bill Belton, Akeel Lynch and Zach Zwinak...Efforts in pass blocking helped Hackenberg amass 2,977 yards and 12 touchdowns, including six 200-yard passing games.
UCF (8/30): Made his first career start in the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland...Helped the Nittany Lions amass 511 yards of total offense, including a school-record 454 yards passing by Hackenberg. Akron (9/6): Helped the Nittany Lions total 425 yards of total offense, including 319 yards passing from Hackenberg, who broke the school record with 773 yards passing in consecutive games. at Rutgers (9/13): Protected Hackenberg, allowing him to throw for 309 yards in the 13-10 come-from-behind win. Northwestern (9/27): He was part of the O-Line unit that helped Hackenberg log his fourth 200-yard passing game of the season, as he threw for 216 yards. at Michigan (10/11): Earned a start at right guard. Ohio State (10/25): Started at right guard...Blocked for Hackenberg, who completed 31 passes for 224 yards, helping the Nittany Lions take the No. 13 Buckeyes to double-overtime. Maryland (11/1): Helped the Nittany Lions to five scoring drives in a start. at Indiana (11/8): Started at right guard and opened holes for Belton's 137-yard rushing effort...Helped open the running lane up the middle on Belton's 92-yard touchdown run, the longest rushing touchdown in school history by one player, which helped Belton register Penn State's first 100-yard rushing effort of the season against the Hoosiers. Temple (11/15): Started at right guard and helped Penn State rush for a season-high 254 yards, including 130 yards from Lynch and 92 yards from Belton. at Illinois (11/22): Blocked for Lynch, who gained a career-best 137 rushing yards, including a rushing score. Michigan State (11/29): Earned the start at right guard. Boston College (12/27): Helped Penn State's offense to 453 total yards in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, including a school bowl record 371 yards through the air...Instrumental in helping Hackenberg break or tie nine Penn State bowl records with his 34-of-50, 371-yard, four-touchdown and zero-interception performance.
? 2013 ? Redshirt Freshman Season
Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten.
Season: In his first season on the field, saw action in all 12 games at defensive tackle and on special teams...Played a significant role in adding depth to the middle of the defensive line on short-yardage situations.
Eastern Michigan (9/7): Made five tackles, including four assisted stops in the win. Michigan (10/12): Assisted on a stop in the dramatic quadruple-overtime victory.
? 2012 ? True Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
? High School
Helped The Gilman School to three Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A titles...A three-time all-state selection under coach Biff Poggi...Selected a team captain twice...Earned invitations to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American game and USA Football's International Bowl...Ranked among the top 25 at offensive guard by ESPN.com, 24/7Sports.com and Rivals.com...Four-time National Prep Wrestling selection and also lettered in track and field.
? Personal
Full name is Brian Matthew Gaia...Son of Tim and Sharon Gaia...Has an older sister, Nicole...Enjoys working on his car and fishing...Is a management major and would like to own a business...Born April 15, 1994 in Pasadena, Md.