| Graham Zug |
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With the departure of arguably the greatest trio of receivers in Penn State history to graduation, Graham Zug is anxious for the opportunity to take on a more prominent role for one of the Big Ten's most potent passing attacks. A former walk-on, the talented and instinctive Zug was awarded a scholarship prior to the 2008 campaign and has developed into a reliable, sure-handed target. He is a good athlete, with the speed, size and determination to separate himself from defenders and make plays. Zug played in every game last year, making three starts, and finished spring drills atop the depth chart at one of the wideout spots. He made 11 receptions for 174 yards, and a strong 15.8 average, and two touchdowns in 2008. The former all-stater from Manheim Central HS further demonstrated his desire to become a significant contributor during winter conditioning and spring practice. The coaching staff selected him as the recipient of the 2009 Red Worrell Award, presented annually to the offensive player who has best demonstrated exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude, and improvement during spring practice. Zug punctuated his impressive spring by catching a game-high four passes for 62 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown grab in 2009 Blue-White game. Zug has strong Penn State bloodlines. His father and grandfather are Penn State graduates and his sister, Daneen, is a junior on the Nittany Lion field hockey team, earning All-Big Ten honors in 2008. An older brother, David, was a member of the Blue Band and also is a Penn State graduate.
2008 Junior Season
One of the best stories of the Big Ten Championship season was Zug's emergence as a productive and valuable member of the senior-laden wide receiver unit. Zug played in every game, making starts against Ohio State, Indiana and Southern California in the 2009 Rose Bowl. He was tied for seventh on the team in receptions, hauling in 11 passes for 174 yards and a strong 15.8 average. Zug also had two touchdown catches, fourth-best on the squad. Against Temple, he made his first career touchdown catch on a 17-yard strike from Daryll Clark. He made two catches for 39 yards at Purdue, including a 23-yard reception. In his first start, Zug made a career-long 49-yard catch at Ohio State. The second-quarter reception set up a Kevin Kelly field goal in the Lions' critical 13-6 win in Columbus. Zug demonstrated his athleticism and instincts in the win over Michigan State, keeping his feet just inside the end zone and catching a five-yard bullet from Clark to give the Lions a 7-0 lead in the first period. He later added a 28-yard catch and run to the Spartan one-yard line to set up a Clark touchdown run in the second quarter. Zug caught a game-high four passes for 62 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown from Matt McGloin, in the 2009 Blue-White game.
2007 Sophomore Season
Zug made his collegiate debut in the season-opener against Florida International and grabbed his first reception, gaining eight yards in the win. He played in eight games and on 42 snaps, seeing his most significant playing time against Florida International. In the 2008 Blue-White game, Zug made four catches for 47 yards, including a 22-yard scoring strike from Pat Devlin for the victorious Blue squad.
2006 Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
High School
Zug was a standout at Manheim Central HS for Coach Mike Williams. He was named Associated Press first-team Class AAA all-state and edged out future Nittany Lion teammate Jared Odrick as Lancaster-Lebanon League Player-of-the-Year. During an outstanding senior season, Zug caught 78 passes for 1,282 yards and 20 touchdowns and contributed 38 tackles and nine interceptions. His game-high was an eight-catch, 138-yard performance against rival Lebanon. Zug caught 51 passes for 799 yards and 13 scores and tallied 78 tackles and six interceptions as a junior. He also compiled a 3.6 grade-point average.
Personal
Full name is Graham Alan Zug. His father, David, and grandfather are Penn State graduates and his sister, Daneen, is a standout on the Nittany Lion field hockey team, entering her junior season. She was selected second-team All-Big Ten in 2008. An older brother, David, was a member of the Blue Band and also is a Penn State graduate. Graham is majoring in kinesiology. Born April 12, 1987.
Zug's 2008 Game-by-Game
Receiving (Catches-Yards-TD)
Coastal Carolina 1-5-0; Oregon State 0-0; Syracuse 1-11-0; Temple 1-17-1; Illinois 1-8-0; Purdue 2-39-0; Wisconsin 1-3-0; Michigan 0-0-0; Ohio State 1-49-0; Iowa 0-0-0; Indiana 1-9-0; Michigan State 2-33-1; USC 0-0-0.
