STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 24, 1999 -- Senior standouts Brandon Short and Kevin Thompson today were named captains of the 1999 Penn State football team. The announcement was made during Blue-White game festivities, as 55,000 fans in Beaver Stadium watched the Blue beat the White, 31-9.

An All-America candidate from McKeesport, Pa., Short is a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions. The middle linebacker was one of 10 Butkus Award semifinalists and a first team All-Big Ten selection last year. He led Penn State with 67 tackles (49 solo) in 19998, including 15 TFL (minus-45) and 5.5 sacks (-29). He also had one interception and two pass break-ups. His top game of last season was tying his career-high with 10 stops (eight solo) at Minnesota, including a career-best three sacks (minus-11) to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and ABC Player of the Game honors.

Thompson was 121 of 226 for 1,794 yards in his first season as the starting quarterback, with six touchdowns and eight interceptions. His top game was a 19 of 26 effort for 269 yards against Illinois, with one touchdown. In the Outback Bowl against Kentucky, the Gaithersburg, Md. product was 14 of 27 for 187 yards and a touchdown in the Lions'' 26-14 win.

Penn State posted a 9-3 record last fall, gaining its 23rd Top 15 finish (26th in Top 20) under Joe Paterno, earning the No. 15 ranking in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and the No. 17 ranking in the Associated Press survey. The Lions return 19 starters and 42 of their top 48 players on the depth chart, including punters and kickers, for the 1999 season. Penn State will return eight starters on offense, nine on defense and both specialists, in addition to 11 players with starting experience.

The Nittany Lions open the season August 28, hosting Arizona in the Pigskin Classic at 1 p.m. The Wildcats were 12-1 and ranked No. 4 last season and return 17 starters.