Larry Johnson honored with recruiting award

Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson has been named the national college football Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com.

The Nittany Lions' defensive line coach, Johnson and the Penn State coaching staff recently signed a class that is regarded among the nation's best.

Previous winners of the Rivals.com national recruiter of the year include Ed Orgeron of Southern California (2004) and Kevin Steele of Florida State (2005). Johnson is the first coach from a Big Ten institution to win the award.

"Larry Johnson is a tireless worker who relates well with recruits because of his straight-forward approach. As do all our coaches, Larry represents the family atmosphere that is so much a part of Penn State Football," stated head coach Joe Paterno.

Johnson joined the Penn State staff in 1996 after a highly-successful prep coaching career in Maryland and Virginia. He served as the Nittany Lions' defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator from 1996-99 and has coached the defensive line since the 2000 season.

Penn State recognized as ECAC Team of the Year

For the 11th time since becoming eligible in 1985, the Penn State football team has been named ECAC Team of the Year Presented by FieldTurf.

The ECAC Football Awards Committee, consisting of ECAC staff members and athletic directors from ECAC institutions, selected the Nittany Lions for the Division I-A honor.

Penn State capped an 11-1 season by defeating ACC Champion Florida State in the FedEx Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten Championship and were No. 3 in the final national polls, earning their 13th Top 5 finish under Joe Paterno.

Tim Curley, Penn State Director of Athletics, and members of the Nittany Lions' football staff will accept the ECAC honor and the Lambert Trophy tonight at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet Presented by FieldTurf. The event will be held at the Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J.

Since becoming eligible for the honor in '85, the Nittany Lions have been named ECAC Team of the Year in: 1985, '86, '89, '90, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, 2002 and '05.

Penn State's 11 selections are easily the most for any institution since the ECAC began the honor in 1975.