Stephen Obeng-Agyapong is positioned to play a more significant role in the defensive backfield this fall. The hard-hitting, instinctive safety enters the season with the talent and determination to be among the top players in the secondary. The redshirt junior made significant progress during the spring and he should be a strong challenger for a starting assignment when training camp begins in August. The hard-working Obeng-Agyapong was the top reserve to Drew Astorino last season at strong safety, recording 11 total tackles, seven of which were solo hits. He played in every game on defense and special teams, helping the Nittany Lions rank third in the Big Ten in pass defense. Obeng-Agyapong's family originally is from Ghana. The information sciences and technology major was a summer intern at Minitab, Inc., a statistical software company in State College. He is on schedule to graduate in May. Obeng-Agyapong is one of six returning Nittany Lions from New York and played with former Nittany Lion tailback Stephfon Green at John F. Kennedy High School.
2011 Junior Season
Obeng-Agyapong played in every game on defense and special teams, helping the Nittany Lions rank third in the Big Ten in pass defense. He recorded 11 total tackles, seven of which were solo hits. He made three stops against Indiana State in the season-opener and three more against No. 2 Alabama. He also made two stops against Eastern Michigan and had one tackle in three additional games. Obeng-Agyapong was on the field for 254 snaps, topped by 38 against Eastern Michigan and 29 at Wisconsin.
2010 Sophomore Season
Obeng-Agyapong played in every game on defense and special teams and recorded nine tackles. He made three tackles against Youngstown State and two hits in the shutout win over Kent State. Obeng-Agyapong saw action on 197 snaps, led by 30 against Youngstown State, 21 against Illinois and 19 against Florida in the 2011 Outback Bowl. He garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors for the first time.
2009 Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
High School
A team captain at John F. Kennedy HS, Obeng-Agyapong played on both sides of the ball for Coach Alex Vega. He earned all-state and all-city accolades. He gained 719 rushing yards and scored six touchdowns during his senior season, adding a pair of receiving scores. At free safety, Obeng-Agyapong recorded 130 career tackles and four interceptions. He played in the 2009 Empire Challenge game where New York City took on Long Island. Obeng-Agyapong also was a member of the track team, running in the sprint events and relays.
Personal
Full name is Stephen Obeng-Agyapong. He is the son of Stephen and Glorida Obeng-Agyapong. He has two younger brothers, David and Jeremiah, and an older sister, Esther. Obeng-Agyapong enjoys drawing in his spare time. Born February 20, 1991 in the Bronx, N.Y.
