Dec. 13, 2007

Football: Brad Samsa Named Second-Team Associated Press All-American

    Youngstown – Junior offensive lineman Brad Samsa (Warren, Ohio) was named second-team All-American by The Associated Press, the service announced on Thursday. Samsa was the only junior to be named to the first or second team and was one of two underclassmen to be named to any of the All-America squads.

    Samsa, a two-year starter, started the first three games for the Penguins at right guard before moving to left tackle for the next eight contests because of injuries.

    A first-team All-Gateway selection, Samsa, who started all 14 games at right guard, has started the past 26 games on the Penguins' offensive line since the season finale in 2005. In that span he has started at center, guard and tackle.

    In 2007, he played an offensive-line high 688 snaps, allowing one sack. He had five performances of 80 percent or better according to the coaching staff's grades and graded out at 80 percent for the year. He was a second-team 2006 All-Gateway pick.

    Samsa becomes the second Penguins offensive lineman in as many years (Ryan Jewell in 2006) to be named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press.

    In other news, freshman offensive lineman Stiles O'Brien has been granted a medical hardship by the NCAA and will use the 2007 campaign as his redshirt year. O'Brien missed the first three games because of injuries before making his debut against Lock Haven. In the week of practice following the Lock Haven game, O'Brien suffered a season-ending leg injury.