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Football Bio
Between being Joe Paterno's second-string quarterback in the Rose Bowl, receiving a 3.81 in his M.B.A. coursework and moonlighting as a Nittany Lions' reliever, one would be pressed to find a harder working and more devoted Penn State athlete than Paul Cianciolo. Paul joined the Penn State bullpen halfway through last season, making 12 appearances on the season in relief. He returns as the lone player with a save last season, earning one against Bucknell. No longer having to balance spring football and baseball, Paul is primed to see more innings of relief for the Nittany Lions this season and will be valuable both on and off the field for head coach Robbie Wine's squad.
2008
Also is a quarterback on the Penn State football team....Joined the baseball team this year during the spring break trip to Florida and pitched three scoreless innings vs. UConn (3-12) in his debut with the baseball team....In just a little over half the season, has moved into the bullpen rotation and has appeared in game in five of eight conference weekends....Rotated between spring football practice and baseball games/practices for the five weeks that spring football practice was being conducted....Owns the only other save on the pitching staff that belongs to a pitcher other than Drew O'Neil.
Game-by-Game Highlights
_vs. Connecticut (3/12): Debuted by pitching three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and walking one while striking out two and also fielding his only chance flawlessly.
_vs. Canisius (3/24): Got one out on a strikeout while also allowing a hit, appearing in that game just after arriving at the stadium in the later innings from football practice.
_vs. Bucknell (4/2): Pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowing his first runs of the season but also struck out three and earned the save.
_vs. Akron (4/15): Tossed two scoreless innings.
_vs. Michigan State (5/2): Pitched three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out one.
Penn State Football
Throughout the season, the coaching staff has touted the depth of the Nittany Lions' quarterback corps, saying it may be the school's finest set of signal callers. Two-sport athlete Paul Cianciolo has worked hard in practice and the weight room to be ready should he be needed in relief of Daryll Clark. The sixth-year senior took snaps during three games and was efficient in each of his outings. Overall, he completed six-of-nine passes for 86 yards with one touchdown on the year. Seeing his first playing time since, after quarterbacks Anthony Morelli and Clark suffered mild concussions, he commanded the Penn State offense within seven points of Michigan in 2006. In the late stages of the game, he teamed up with Derek Moye on a 32-yard touchdown against the Orange. Cianciolo's skills and work ethic have transpired on both the baseball diamond and classroom at Penn State. Cianciolo, who graduated with grade-point average of 3.94 in finance in August of 2007, is in his second year of coursework towards a Master's of Business Administration degree. Paul is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Fort Dorchester HS
In addition to being a record-setting quarterback, also pitched and played first base for four years on the baseball for head coach Joack Radcliffe at Fort Dorchester HS in Charleston, S.C....Helped lead his team to a regional baseball championship in 2003...A two-time All-Region pick in baseball as a junior and senior.
Background
Paul Anthony Cianciolo was born on March 5, 1986 in Abilene, Texas....The son of Fred and Emily Cianciolo, he has an older brother, Joe (24), who played football at Penn State, and a younger sister, Kelley (20)....Enjoys water skiing and wake boarding....Father, Fred, played football as the U.S. Air Force Academy. Chose Penn State because it "provided the best combination of academics and athletics of any school" he visited.
