Dan Connor
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
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Dan Connor (Born Daniel Murphy Connor on November 2, 1985 in Wallingford, Pa.) plays linebacker for the Penn State Nittany Lions also known as the "Linebacker U" in the NCAA college football tournament. Connor is considered by scouts as a tackling machine, with the size and the talent to make it big in the next level. The Wallingford, Pa. native is the team and league leader in tackles with 136 (4th in school season list), 66 solo, or an average of 11.3 per game which ranks 7th in the nation during his senior season. Additionally, Connor registered 14.0 TFL for minus-61 yards (good for second on the team and 10th in the Big Ten), 6.5 sacks for minus-50 yards (2nd in the team and 10th in the league), with an interception, a fumble recovery, and 6 pass break-ups. Connor, the 2007 Chuck Bednarik Awardee, is also Penn State's career tackle leader with 410 hits.
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[edit] Personal Life
Dan is the youngest son of Jim and Carol Connor. His two older brothers, Jim and Mike, were also former college football players as the former suited up for Boston College while the latter played at Lehigh. When not on the football field, Dan likes to play his guitar during spare time. He is a crime, law, and justice major at PSU.
[edit] High School
Connor went to Strath Haven High School where he was a consensus prep All-American and a 4-year starter at football and also lettered in basketball and track. As a track athlete, Connor took part in various events including high jump, javelin, discus and shot put. As a football player, Dan was a highly decorated athlete, being named as first-team all-state three times and at the same time earning all-region, all-city, all-county and all-league honors as well. The team captain and team MVP, Connor keyed his team's 2000 Pennsylvania Class AAA state championship reign and played a huge part in the team's championship game appearances the next two seasons. Playing under coach Kevin Clancy, Connor was utilized on both ends of the field, and as a senior, produced 1,807 rushing yards and 28 TDs on 251 carries enroute to being named as the 2003 Associated Press Big School Player-of-the-Year, the Maxwell Football Club's prestigious Jim Henry Award as the Philadelphia Area Player-of-the-Year as well as the Philadelphia Inquirer Southeastern Pennsylvania Player-of-the-Year. Connor capped his high school football career with 4,556 rushing yards and 77 touchdowns on offense, and 451 tackles, 18 sacks, 16 interceptions and six fumble recoveries on defense. Connor went on to be selected the nation's top prep linebacker by Parade and earned first-team All-America accolades from USA Today, SuperPrep and numerous other media outlets. Connor also took part in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in 2004.
[edit] College
[edit] 2004
As a freshman, Connor started 4-games (the last three starts as inside linebacker) and became a vital part in the Nittany Lion defense that ranked among the top 10 in the nation in four categories and was the only team in the nation to not allow more than 21 points in a game. He made his debut against Akron, posting five tackles (three solo) in the season-opening win and went on to post twin-digit tackles in four of his team's games (10 against Purdue, a season-high 16 against Northwestern which is also the highest number of tackles for a PSU player in two seasons, 11 with a TFL against Indiana, and 11 against Michigan State in the season-finale). He ended the year as the team's second-leading tackler (no.9 in the league) with 85 tackles (50 solo) while registering 4.5 tackles for loss (minus-12 yards), one sack and one interception to be named as a Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, the Football Writers Association of America and Scripps.
[edit] 2005
As a sophomore, Connor once again played a major role in Penn State's stifling defense that led the league in pass efficiency defense (106.6 rating) and ranked second in scoring (17.0 ppg), total defense (304.7 ypg), rushing defense (93.0 ypg) and sacks (41). Among his most notable performance as a sophomore include the Illinois game (9 hits in the first half with an 18-yard fumble return for his first collegiate score), the Michigan game (9 stops), his start at the Ohio State game (12 tackles and 1 sack), the regular-season finale against Michigan State (game & season-high 14 tackles, with 9 solo), and in the FedEx Orange Bowl against Florida State (7 tackles with 5 solo, 2 TFLs). Connor, who started the last 7 games, went on to register 76 tackles (tie for 4th in the team), with 5.5 tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, and 8 pass breakups (3rd in the team).
[edit] 2006
As a junior, Connor was instrumental in the team's defense which finished the season ranking within the top 15 in the nation in rushing (87.5 ypg, seventh), scoring (14.4 ppg, ninth), total defense (284.5 ypg, 15th), pass efficiency defense (105.9 rating, 14th) and sacks (40, sixth tie). Connor, who started in every game at outside linebacker, earned a couple of Big Ten Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors during the season, the first one in the Akron game where he tallied a season-high 13 stops, and career-highs with 3.5 TFL for minus-23 yards and two sacks, while the second one coming in the shut-out victory over Purdue where he recorded a game-high 12 tackles (10 solo) and picked off a pass.
He finished the season ranked no.5 in the Big Ten in tackles (113), no.1 in the team in solo stops (70), no.3 in the team in TFLs (9.0), no.3 in sacks (5.0 for minus -39), no.1 in the team and no.6 in the league in forced fumbles (3), and added two pick-offs and one safety on a sack. Along with fellow All-American Paul Posluszny, the duo, who competed for the Bednarik Award became the first Penn State tandem since Andre Collins (130) and Brian Chizmar (110) in 1989 to record more than 100 tackles in a season. Connor was also recognized as a first-team All-America by The Sporting News and as a second-team All-America by the Associated Press.
[edit] 2007
Connor came into his senior season as the premiere stopper of the Nittany Lions. He capped his final year of eligibility topping the school's career tackle list with 410 hits and led his team and the league with 136 tackles (no.4 in the school-season list), with 66 solo for an 11.3 per game average that ranks No. 7 in the nation. He also ranked second on the team and 10th in the Big Ten with 14.0 TFL for minus-61 yards, placed second on the team and 10th in the conference with 6.5 sacks (minus-50), while adding an interception, a fumble recovery and six pass break-ups. By the end of the regular season, Connor landed a spot at the Associated Press' All-America first team as well as the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team, becoming Penn State's 91st first team All-America selection and the 14th Nittany Lion to earn first team All-America honors twice.
[edit] Highlights
| Dan Connor claims the 2007 Chuck Bednarik Award for the best defensive college football player. Connor is the third Nittany Lion to receive the award. |
[edit] Achievements
- 2007 Associated Press All-America First Team
- 2007 Walter Camp First Team All-American
- 2007 Second team All-American by SI.com
- 2007 Chuck Bednarik Award
- 2007 Penn State Defensive MVP
- 2007 Rated No. 1 middle linebacker in the nation by Phil Steele's 2007 College Football Preview
- 2006 Bednarik Award finalist
- 2006 First-team All-America (The Sporting News)
- 2006 Second-team All-America (Associated Press)
- 2006 2-time Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Week
- 2004 Freshman All-American (The Sporting News, the Football Writers Association of America and Scripps)
