Massaro and Urschel named first-team Academic All-Americans
Defensive end Pete Massaro and guard John Urschel are Penn State's representatives on the Academic All-America first team.
Two Penn State football players, senior defensive end Pete Massaro and redshirt junior guard John Urschel, have been named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team that was announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
For Massaro, a graduate of Marple Newtown High School in Delaware County, it marked the second time he had been named to the team. He also earned first-team honors in 2010. He is one of 10 Penn State players to be a first-team honoree on two occasions.
Massaro graduated in December 2011 with a 3.85 grade-point average in finance and is on schedule to earn a second degree in economics later this month. Because he sat out the entire 2011 season recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, he was not eligible to be nominated for Academic All-America honors.
Urschel, of Williamsville, N.Y., graduated in three years last spring with a 4.0 GPA in mathematics and is on schedule to earn a Masters degree in math next May.
Penn State and Notre Dame were the only FBS or FCS teams with two first-team Academic All-America players.
--Joe Juliano