Penn State's King named to Thorpe award watch list

-Courtesy of Penn State University

Penn State junior cornerback Justin King has been named to the Watch List for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the nation's top defensive back.

A year ago, in his first full season focusing exclusively on defense, King quickly established himself as a premiere shut down corner. Versus top-ranked Ohio State, he put together a breakout performance, holding explosive receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. to just two catches for 15 yards and picking off future Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith for the first interception of his career. In the Nittany Lions’ 20-10 win over Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, King limited All-American receiver Robert Meachem to four catches for 33 yards.

Instrumental in helping the Penn State defense rank in the top 15 nationally in several categories, King recorded 30 tackles (22 solo), six pass break-ups, and one interception. In honor of his standout season, King was selected second team All-Big Ten and is a pre-season first team All-Big Ten candidate.