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CM’s and Penn State’s Von Walker wins Bob Mitinger Award

From staff reports

STATE COLLGE – Central Mountain High School grad and Penn State senior co-caption Von Walker is among players honored for their work-ethic and accomplishments during the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten Championship season in 2016.

Before a crowd of nearly 700 people at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel this past Sunday, Walker  was awarded the Bob Mitinger Memorial Award as a “senior who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility.”

Walker is among 18 seniors on the PSU squadwho have been instrumental in the Nittany Lions posting four consecutive winning seasons and the program’s first Big Ten Championship since 2008.

Penn State will face USC in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 2 in Pasadena, Calif.

The team ended the regular season and playoff ranked No. 5 in the nation with an 11-2 regular season and 8-1 mark in Big Ten play

Walker’s season ended against Rutgers when was injured while was covering a punt in the first half.

Up to that point, Walker, a MillHall native, had a streak of 28 straight appearances.

The former walk-on, who was also a captain last season, is the eighth player in program history to be named a team captain twice.

Also Sunday, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year Saquon Barkley, of Coplay, Pa., and All-Big Ten honorees defensive end Garrett Sickels, of Red Bank, N.J., and quarterback Trace McSorley, of Ashburn, Va., were among the award winners at State College Quarterback Club’s annual banquet honoring the Penn State football team.

Barkley was selected the Nittany Lions’ Most Valuable Player. A second-team All-Big Ten honoree, Sickels was honored as the Most Valuable Defensive Player, while the Nittany Lions’ record setting quarterback and Big Ten Championship game MVP McSorley was selected Penn State’s Most Valuable Offensive Player.

Others honored were:

-Lions’ Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award (greatest career contribution to Penn State Football) — linebacker Brandon Bell (Blue Bell, N.J.)

-Most Valuable Player — running back Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.)

-Most Valuable Offensive Player — quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.)

-Most Valuable Defensive Player — defensive end Garrett Sickels (Red Bank, N.J.)

-Captain’s Award — linebacker Brandon Bell, offensive lineman Brian Gaia (Pasadena, Md.), linebacker Von Walker (Mill Hall, Pa.)

-Ridge Riley Award (senior for “sportsmanship, scholarship, leadership and friendship”) — wide receiver Gregg Garrity (Pittsburgh)

-Memorial Award– Brian Gaia

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