Anthony Morelli, Dan Connor and Terrell Golden have been elected by their teammates as captains of the 2007 Penn State football team, the athletic department announced Monday, ending weeks of questions and speculation from reporters and fans about who would officially lead this year's squad.
"Anytime anyone on the team has a problem -- on or off the field -- they know they can talk to me and I'll do whatever I can to help," Golden, a senior wide receiver, said earlier this month, when the three players represented the Nittany Lions at the Big Ten's preseason media gathering in Chicago.
Golden has caught 18 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns in his career at Penn State, and is the only senior member of the Lions' receiving corps.
Connor, a linebacker, finished fifth in the Big Ten with 113 tackles in 2006. He is the only senior on the Lions' projected starting defense.
"There's a lot of new guys in different positions," Connor said of this year's defense. "I know those guys are going to be looking at me, just like when I was a freshman, I was looking at Alan Zemaitis and a couple other guys."
Morelli, the team's quarterback, is heading into his senior season, which will be his second as a starter. Last year, he threw for 2,424 yards and 11 touchdowns, capped by 197 yards passing in Penn State's Outback Bowl win over Tennessee.
"You gotta be a leader -- that just comes with the territory of being a quarterback," Morelli said. "When guys are down, not feeling well, or in the heat of battle during camp, you gotta find ways to keep the team up and excited about the season."
