N I T TA N Y L I O N F O O T B A L L THE GREATEST SHOW IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SUCCESS WITH HONOR
PLAYER BIOS
54
MATT
STANKIEWITCH
6-3 295 Jr./So. Eligible Guard/Center Orwigsburg, Pa.
Matt Stankiewitch made good progress and provided depth for the offensive line during the 2009 campaign, his first on the field. He earned the starting assignment at left guard against Akron and Syracuse and saw action in every game last season on offense and special teams. The most recent spring practice saw him spend considerable time at center and he likely will enter preseason camp looking to challenge senior Doug Klopacz for the starting assignment. The former Blue Mountain HS standout has good skills, size and strength and should have an opportunity to earn a larger role for the offense this season. Stankiewitch owned a 3.38 cumulative grade-point average through the spring semester and is a potential Academic All-Big Ten candidate. He is among 14 Nittany Lion returnees from Eastern Pennsylvania. 2009 Sophomore Season The starting left guard against Akron and Syracuse, Stankiewitch saw action in every game last season on offense and special teams. He helped Penn State gain 515 yards, its second-highest total of the season, in the 31-7 win over the Zips. Stankiewitch saw action on 205 snaps, led by 59 against Akron. 2008 Freshman Season Redshirt season. High School A three-year starter for Coach Chuck Kutz at Blue Mountain HS, Stankiewitch was an Associated Press first-team all-state selection in 2007. The two-way lineman recorded 60 tackles during his senior year and was instrumental in helping his team win the District XI AAA Championship in 2007. ESPN.com ranked him as the No. 5 center in the nation, and he was ranked as the No. 6 center by Rivals.com and the No. 8 guard in the nation by Scout.com. Stankiewitch was an All-America ESPN Under Armour High School Bowl selection and also played in the Big 33 Classic. Stankiewitch was named the Berks Inter-County League Offensive Lineman-of-the-Year, the Reading Eagle All-Anthracite Defensive Player-of-the-Year and to the WNEP-TV Super 16 Dream Team. He was first-team all-conference on offense and defense and was a two-time first-team allregion pick by the Pottsville Republican. He earned second-team all-state honors as a junior. He also played basketball for one year. Stankiewitch was a member of the National Honor Society and the Social Studies Honor Society and was a Blue Mountain Scholar-Athlete. Personal Full name is Matthew Edward Stankiewitch. His parents are Michael and Lisa Stankiewitch. His older brother, Michael, played basketball at Penn State’s Schuylkill campus. Stankiewitch enjoys weightlifting, movies and video games. He is a management major in the Smeal College of Business and owned a 3.38 cumulative grade-point average after the spring semester. He made the Dean’s List with a 3.64 GPA for the 2010 spring semester. Born February 8, 1990 in Pottsville, Pa.
NATION’S TOP WINNING PERCENTAGES SINCE 1950 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Team Winning Pct. Ohio State .757 Oklahoma .755 PENN STATE .735 Nebraska .727 Texas .721 Michigan .707 Southern California .703 Alabama .695 Tennessee .692 Florida .676
Won 497 519 498 507 495 467 477 469 473 459
Lost 154 164 177 188 188 190 195 201 205 216
Tied 15 12 7 9 10 13 20 17 20 17
Games 666 695 682 704 693 670 692 687 698 692
NUMEROUS NITTANY LIONS HAVE FAMILY TIES TO PENN STATE FOOTBALL Eleven returning members of the 2010 squad have ties to current or former Nittany Lion football team players and coaches: Junior Tyler Ahrenhold’s father, Frank, lettered for the Nittany Lions from 1969-71. Redshirt freshman Nick Delligatti’s father, Dan, was a letterman for the Nittany Lions
in 1983 and ’84. Sophomore Mike Fuhrman is the son of Chet Fuhrman, former Penn State football strength and conditioning coach. Rich Mauti was a letterman for the Nittany Lions in 1975 and ’76 and played eight NFL seasons. One of his sons, Michael, is a redshirt sophomore and another son, Patrick, was a senior in 2009. Redshirt freshman Kenny Pollock’s great uncle, Ben Pollock, played at Penn State from 1937-40, earning letters his final two seasons. Wide receiver Ryan Scherer’s father, Rip, was a graduate assistant football coach at Penn State in 1974 and ‘75. Ryan’s grandfather, Rip, lettered for the Nittany Lions in 1948. Junior linebacker Nate Stupar comes from a family with multiple ties to Penn State, including his father, Steve, who was a lineman for Paterno in the late 1970s. Uncles Ron, Doug and Jeff Hostetler all played for the Nittany Lions in the late 1970s and early1980s. Junior running back Joe Suhey is a member of one of the most prominent families in Penn State football history. His great grandfather, Bob Higgins, was Penn State’s second AllAmerican, in 1915, and earned All-America honors again in 1919. He served as head coach of the Nittany Lions from 1930-48. Suhey’s grandfather, Steve Suhey, was a letterman in 1942 and again in 1946-47, gaining All-America honors his senior season. He married one of Bob Higgins’ daughters, Ginger. Three of their sons — Paul, Larry and Matt (Joe’s father) — played for Penn State in the 1970s. One of Joe’s first-cousins, Kevin Suhey, graduated in 2008 after playing for the Nittany Lions. Tight end Mark Wedderburn’s older brother, Floyd, played tackle at Penn State, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 1998. Senior guard Stefen Wisniewski also has strong family ties to the program. His father, Leo, was a standout defensive lineman for the Lions, lettering from 1979-81. An uncle, Steve Wisniewski, was a two-time first-team All-America guard during his outstanding Penn State career (1985-88). Sophomore Michael’s Zordich’s father, Michael, played at Penn State from 1982-85, garnering first-team All-America honors as a senior before embarking on a 12-year NFL career. In addition, Graham Zug’s older brother, David, was a member of the Penn State Blue Band and punter Russell Nye’s father, Greg, is in his 19th year as the Penn State men’s golf coach.
94 FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS 46 ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS 36 NFL FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS 22 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
2010 PENN STATE FOOTBALL
109