Posluszny, Paterno win major college awards

Penn State captured two of the of the biggest awards at last night's Home Depot College Football Awards Show, with Joe Paterno earning the Home Depot Coach of the Year and linebacker Paul Posluszny winning the Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player.

In addition to the pair of awards, Posluszny and senior defensive end Tamba Hali were introduced as members of the Walter Camp All-America team.

The winner of an unprecedented four AFCA National Coach of the Year awards, Paterno is the first coach in any NCAA classification to be selected AFCA Region Coach of the Year 11 times. Larry Kehres of Division III Mount Union has won the regional honor 10 times.

A junior from Aliquippa, Pa., Posluszny joins linebacker LaVar Arrington as Nittany Lions to win the Bednarik Award, which is sponsored by the Maxwell Football Club. The award was first presented in 1994 in honor of former Philadelphia Eagles standout Chuck Bednarik.

"I'm really honored and surprised to win the Bednarik Award," Posluszny said from Orlando. "There were two other great players who were just as deserving."

Hali, Posluszny selected to '05 All-America team

Penn State defensive standouts Tamba Hali and Paul Posluszny have been selected to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, the nation's oldest All-America team.

The Walter Camp team will be introduced during tonight's Home Depot College Football Awards Show that airs from 7-9 p.m. on ESPN.

A senior defensive end, the Walter Camp honor is the second for Hali, who last week was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America team.

A junior linebacker, Posluszny becomes the 76th Penn State football student-athlete to earn first team All-America recognition, a total of 88 times, dating back to W.T. (Mother) Dunn's selection to the Walter Camp All-America squad in 1906.

Posluszny is the 12th linebacker to earn first team All-America honors at "Linebacker U" under Coach Joe Paterno. He joins a group of former Penn State linebackers that includes: Dennis Onkotz, Jack Ham, Greg Buttle, Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short as first team All-Americans.

Hali is Penn State's fourth defensive lineman to earn first team All-America honors in the past six years, joining Courtney Brown, Michael Haynes and Jimmy Kennedy.