Connor earns first-team All-America status
Penn State senior captain Dan Connor is a good linebacker.
For fans needing more proof than his 136 tackles this season, his Bednarik Award and Walter Camp All-America selection, the Associated Press confirmed it by naming him to this year's first-team All-American squad.
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His career resume at Penn State is too wealthy to name the number of accolades and awards he has pulled in.
That said, here's an attempt to name a few of the more prominent honors.
- Connor is Penn State's all-time career-tackles leader with a total of 410 tackles, edging one of the Lions' all-time greats, Paul Posluszny.
- His Walter Camp All-America selection marked the second-time he was named to the first-team squad, becoming just the 14th Penn Stater to do so.
- Connor's 136 tackles this season led the Big Ten and finished the season as No. 7 in the country, averaging 11.3 per game. The total tackle number ranks in at No. 4 all-time at Penn State.
Certainly, the linebacker's storied career at Penn State will be be remembered as one of the best among a long line of standouts.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback -- Tim Tebow, sophomore, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Florida.
Running backs -- Darren McFadden, junior, 6-2, 215, Arkansas; Kevin Smith, junior, 6-1, 211, Central Florida.
Wide receivers -- Michael Crabtree, freshman, 6-3, 208, Texas Tech; Jordy Nelson, senior, 6-2, 213, Kansas State.
Tackles -- Jake Long, senior, 6-7, 313, Michigan; Anthony Collins, junior, 6-5, 320, Kansas.
Guards -- Duke Robinson, junior, 6-5, 330, Oklahoma; Martin O'Donnell, senior, 6-5, 305, Illinois.
Center -- Steve Justice, senior, 6-4, 284, Wake Forest.
Tight end -- Martin Rucker, senior, 6-6, 255, Missouri.
All-purpose player -- Jeremy Maclin, freshman, 6-1, 185, Missouri.
Kicker -- Thomas Weber, freshman, 6-1, 202, Arizona State.
Defense
Ends -- Chris Long, senior, 6-4, 280, Virginia; George Selvie, sophomore, 6-4, 242, South Florida.
Tackles -- Glenn Dorsey, senior, 6-2, 303, LSU; Sedrick Ellis, senior, 6-2, 305, Southern California.
Linebackers -- Dan Connor, senior, 6-3, 233, Penn State; James Laurinaitis, junior, 6-3, 240, Ohio State; Jordan Dizon, senior, 6-0, 220, Colorado.
Cornerbacks -- Aqib Talib, junior, 6-2, 195, Kansas; Antoine Cason, senior, 6-0, 185, Arizona.
Safeties -- Craig Steltz, senior, 6-2, 209, LSU; Jamie Silva, senior, 5-11, 210, Boston College.
Punter -- Kevin Huber, junior, 6-1, 210, Cincinnati.