Former Penn State All-American linebacker Dan Connor, a defensive analyst on the coaching staff, received high praise Monday from Nittany Lions coach James Franklin.
“Dan has a very, very bright future,” Franklin said. “He’s a unique guy, he really is. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but when he speaks everybody listens.”
The 38-year-old Connor has been handling the in-helmet communication for the defense the last two games with defensive coordinator Tom Allen moving from the sideline to upstairs in the coaches booth.
The new NCAA rule, similar to the one in the NFL, allows one staff member to communicate via radio with one player on offense or defense wearing a green dot on their helmet until there are 15 seconds left on the play clock or until the ball is snapped, whichever comes first.
Connor has been relaying the calls to middle linebacker Kobe King the last two games. Coincidence or not, Penn State’s defense has held Kent State and Illinois to a total of seven points and 286 total yards in the victories.
“It allows Tom to just call the game and not have to worry about communicating with the linebacker on the field,” Franklin said. “I think that’s been good for us. I think it’s been good for our defense. I think it’s been good for Kobe. I think it’s been good for Dan and Tom.”
King said last week that Allen’s raspy, often hoarse voice was hard to understand at times.
“It’s definitely easier from this transition that they made,” King said. “Just him (Allen) not being on the mic and Dan Connor having the mic and it being a different voice, he’s kind of more understandable. He’s a younger guy and he gets us more.”
Connor was a two-time All-American at Penn State and won the 2007 Bednarik Award as the nation’s outstanding player. He still holds the school record for career tackles with 419.
He was a third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2008 and played six seasons in the NFL, also for Dallas and the New York Giants, before retiring after he endured a torn ACL, a fractured hip, a torn Achilles and a neck injury.
He then got into coaching and has made stops at West Chester and Widener and a two-year stint as head coach at Archbishop Carroll before Franklin hired him in February 2022.
“He has a great perspective on college football,” Franklin said. “He has a great perspective on the state of Pennsylvania. He has a great perspective on the NFL and what it takes to be successful at that level. And obviously he has unique Penn State experience.
“He’s been a really good hire and extremely valuable.”
Carter honored: Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 21-7 victory over Illinois.
Carter, a junior from La Salle High School in Philadelphia, had seven tackles overall, including four in the backfield and two sacks. He also forced a fumble.
He’s also one of four candidates for the Lott IMPACT Trophy weekly award. The others are Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson, Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis and Oklahoma defensive end Nic Scourton.
Injury report: Linebacker Dominic DeLuca, cornerback Jalen Kimber and guard Sal Wormley are expected to be ready for Penn State’s game against UCLA Saturday at noon (TV-FOX) at Beaver Stadium, Franklin said Monday.
DeLuca, the former Wyoming Area star, missed the win over Illinois with an apparent wrist injury after sustaining it in the first half of the victory over Kent State on Sept. 21. He was in street clothes last Saturday wearing a brace on his right arm.
Kimber and Wormley sustained unspecified injuries during the Illinois game and did not return.
Franklin also said that third-team running back Cam Wallace suffered a leg injury against Kent State that will keep him out “long term.”
USC kickoff set: The Penn State at USC game Oct. 12 will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time and will be televised on CBS, it was announced Monday.
It will be the Nittany Lions’ first game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1991.
