A.Q. Shipley, C

The first center to serve as team captain since Barry Tielsch in 1996, Shipley had a banner senior campaign for the Nittany Lions. In addition to being named the recipient of the Rimington Trophy, given to college football's best center, he became the 92nd player in school history to be named a first-team All-American.

Shipley proved to be a tough competitor, anchoring a front wall that led the Big Ten Conference and ranked fourth in the nation for fewest quarterback sacks allowed (1.00 spg). That stellar protection allowed PSU to generate 243.08 passing yards per game, the third-best total in the league.

A respected team leader, Shipley is an intense and physical presence on the line. He is also one of the squad's most engaging personalities and played a jovial Santa Claus at the team's bowl game Christmas party during the 2005 and '06 seasons. An accomplished golfer, he graduated last December with a degree in Labor and Industrial Relations.

At Moon Area High School, Shipley was a standout defensive lineman in four seasons with the varsity. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25, and the Harrisburg Patriot-News Platinum 33 squads and also played in the 2004 "Big 33" Classic. As a senior, he helped the squad reach the Western Pennsylvania District Class AAA semifinals after winning the Parkway Conference title.

Shipley recorded 53 tackles as a senior, including 13 for loss and three sacks, as he also forced two fumbles. He ended his career with 243 tackles, 41 for loss and 13 sacks. He also was a three-year starter in basketball and was a two-year captain of the football and basketball teams.

In 2004, Shipley competed on the Penn State scout team as a defensive tackle. The following year, he shuttled between the offensive and defensive lines. He moved to center in 2005 spring drills, providing depth there and at offensive guard the first half of the season. Prior to the Illinois game, he went back to defensive tackle, making five tackles with two sacks the remainder of the season, participating in 226 snaps for the 2005 campaign.

In 2006, Shipley secured a starting job at center, competing in 897 plays. He tallied 54 knockdowns with seven touchdown resulting blocks and also recorded a solo tackle vs. Northwestern. PSU's offense managed to average 349.92 yards per game, as the offensive line allowed only 23 sacks.

As a junior, Shipley was named to the All-Big Ten Conference first-team by the league's coaches and was a candidate for the Rimington Trophy. He registered 76 knockdowns that included nine touchdown-resulting blocks. He made ESPN's All-Bowl team, experiencing every lineman's dream, as he caught a deflected pass for a 4-yard gain vs. Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl. Behind his block-calling, he helped the team rank third in the Big Ten Conference in rushing (193.77 ypg), as the Nittany Lions also amassed 5,201 yards in total offense.

In 2008, Penn State's offense was explosive, thanks to the stellar play of its senior-laden front wall. The Big Ten Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year recorded 11 touchdown-resulting blocks to go with 78 knockdowns. The team finished as the league leader in pass efficiency (145.35 rating), total offense (448.92 ypg) and points scored (38.92 ppg).

Positives: Stout, tough and physical at the point, plays like the former nose guard he is. Strong anchor in pass protection, and does not get bull-rushed as he uses his wide base to maintain leverage. Battles everyone and anyone on the field, playing through the whistle. Good enough feet to combo (in either direction) then get to the linebacker or safety and angle him while engaged. Adept at shotgun. Gets hands up quickly after the snap. Gets off his man to pick up late blitzers using his feet and hands. Only adequate moving laterally on pulls, but is still able to wall off linebackers inside. Team leader. Makes accurate line adjustments.

Negatives: Lacks height, bulk and arm length. Projects to center only, probably in a zone-blocking system. Short arms prevent him from maintaining contact with tackles on the move, which lets his man shed or get past him. Initial punch is only adequate. Does not consistently sustain his blocks, especially against stronger tackles.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.58

Body Structure: Shipley lacks the bulk and thick frame you look for in a center and might not have much more room for additional growth. He lacks good width in his chest, but has strong arms and hands, thick thighs and ankles.

Athletic Ability: One noticeable deficiency is Shipley's lack of arm length, as you can see when he tries to jolt the bull rushers, lacking the ability to gain separation. He needs to add more bulk to his frame, but many feel it is not wide enough to carry more weight. He has a decent straight-line burst, but lacks the explosiveness to get in front on traps and pulls into the second level, needing to compensate by taking proper angles. He labors to run long distances, but comes off the snap with decent quickness. With his low center of gravity, he has good balance and adequate anchor to man-up to a defender over his head, but his short arms let those opponents escape when they take a side. He lacks the change of direction agility and the reach to execute blocks on the move. He is a bit of a waist bender and this is seen when he gets up on his heels and fails to leverage in pass protection. For a guy his size, he shows adequate feet and balance, but needs to improve his change of direction agility. GRADE: 4.9

Football Sense: Shipley compensates for a lack of athletic agility and overall power with his keen field awareness. He will be basically be limited to a zone blocking scheme, but he does work well in unison with his fellow blockers. When he sinks his pads, he knows how get under the bigger defenders and attack their legs. He makes adjustments on the field with ease and has a good understanding for calling out blocking assignments. Simply put, he is smart, knows football, makes good line calls and you see a difference in the team's play when he is not in the lineup. GRADE: 7.4

Character: Shipley is a lovable character who is quick with his wit. He is the team's spokesman and well-respected by the staff. He gets excellent family support and is a pillar in the community with no off-field issues. He comes highly recommended by the coaches. GRADE: 7.2

Competitiveness: If Shipley's strength could match up to his toughness, he'd be an All Pro. He is very aggressive going after his target, even when he knows he is outmatched. He shows good intensity throughout the play and looks to eliminate his man rather than play in a chess match with him. GRADE: 6.7

Work Habits: Shipley is a good worker in the weight room and playing field and operates with a bulldog-like mentality, as he will not hesitate to confront defenders with determination. He is a team-first type, evident by the position switches he made earlier in his career and the coaches use him as a role model for the younger players. GRADE: 6.7

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.74

Initial Quickness: Shipley has the initial quickness to gain advantage coming off the snap, but because of his short arms and marginal lateral quickness, he struggles to make the reach blocks. He comes out of his stance low in his pads to compensate, showing above-average body control working in the trenches. He has good anchor ability when he plants his foot in the ground, but when he skates and gets up on his heels, he can be shoved back by a physical bull rush. Because of his low center of gravity, he will establish decent position in pass protection, where he has developed into a solid cut blocker. He has a decent get-off after his snap, but lacks enough quickness to zone the three-tech consistently. Unless he uses his hands effectively to reach and seal, the defender can escape from him. GRADE: 5.6

Lateral Movement: This is one of his weakest areas, evident by the way he struggles to change direction, especially when past the line of scrimmage. He is best when operating in closed quarters, where his body control allows him to stay in front of his man better. He is inconsistent with his slide and mirror when he skates on his feet, but when he stays square in his base, he can show some lateral quickness, but only on short-area plays. GRADE: 4.7

Balance/Stays On Feet: Shipley does not have the great lower body strength to manhandle the bigger nose guards or bull rushers. He has good balance when he keeps his pad level down, but questionable foot quickness on the move (will lean or over-extend making reach blocks and can be jerked off balance when he does this). He is quick to get hand placement, though, which helps him to drive and sustain contact in the trenches. He makes a good effort to sustain using his hands, but he needs to do a better job of working his hips and moving his feet to wall off. When he gets high in his stance, he looks top heavy, which causes him problems adjusting to shade movement. GRADE: 6.2

Explosion/Pop: Shipley seems to have better pop on contact working in a phone booth than when having to extend and attack on the move. He engages quickly, but has just average leg strength, having to rely on his impressive balance and low center of gravity to gain some movement. He is just not powerful enough to consistently move defenders off the ball. He has some upper body pop, but needs to be more explosive through his hips. If he gets a good burst off the snap, he does have good success vs. shaded defenders and use his hand grab to lock on and control. He has fair pop, but must show better hip explosion on double teams. GRADE: 5.3

Run Blocking: Shipley showed marked improvement in keeping his hands inside his frame to lock on and control the defender. He is more of a position blocker who needs to take good angles on the move. He will position and wall off vs. lumbering defensive tackles, but has to stay low in his pads to compensate for adequate leg drive when trying to gain movement. Even when he is caught out of position, he shows good urgency in attempts to stick and finish. He does not look pretty, but does a solid job of widening the rush lanes and is best when working in unison with fellow blockers. He will never be considered a road grader, but you have to be impressed with his ability to angle. When he plays at a good and low pad level, he can generate enough leg drive to be efficient on his down block assignments. When he gets upright and narrows his base, it results in lost leverage. For the most part, he will stay low and hold his own, but that happens mostly when working in the short area and in-line. GRADE: 5.6

Pass Blocking: In a zone blocking scheme, similar to what Denver and Atlanta used to feature, his size and strength issues can be absorbed by the other linemen. As a pass protector, he is very good at executing cut blocks (see 2008 Oregon State, Temple and Michigan games). When he bends at the knees and plants his feet, he can hold ground vs. the bull rushers, but when he gets tall in his stance, the opponent can walk him back. He shows great eagerness and awareness in his pass set, engaging with good balance to sustain and anchor. There are some concerns about his upper body strength, but he plays in control and while he lacks brute strength to anchor vs. power rushers, he can slide and adjust in the short area. GRADE: 6.5

Pulling/Trapping: When Shipley angles into the second level, he is effective at making the play, but he must stay in control, as he will get over-eager and try to over-extend (with his short arms, it usually results in him falling off his blocks). He has good cut- and chip-blocking ability when he gets into the defender's jersey because he has above average body control to stay up and play on his feet in the short area. He will fall off when he gets reckless in space. GRADE: 6.0

Adjust on Linebacker Downfield: Because of hip stiffness, Shipley will struggle to adjust to speedy second-level defenders and must execute proper angles to be efficient here. He does not have the change of direction agility to recover quickly when he over-pursues on the move. He usually takes good angles, but is better at the line of scrimmage, as he does not have the foot speed to get out in front to search out and neutralize linebackers. GRADE: 5.0

Use of Hands/Punch: Shipley has good quickness with his hand placement, but is not one who can be heavy delivering on contact. He can control and sustain vs. the smaller opponent, but he will never maul anyone, especially with short arms that cause him to struggle when trying to extend and effectively lock out. He can hold and steer defenders, but does not flash good shock ability with his punch. He will get success when he does the job of getting underneath to grab, lock on and steer defenders off the ball, though. GRADE: 5.6

Reactions/Awareness: Shipley has very good instincts and awareness to handle stunts and twists. He will miss a blitz on occasion, but generally plays with good reaction quickness. It is tough for him to make reach blocks with his short arms, but when he stays low in his pads, he is efficient at sliding and adjusting to in-line action. GRADE: 6.9

Compares To: TODD McCLURE, Atlanta -- Like McClure, Shipley brings a lot of toughness, field savvy and awareness to the field. But with marginal size and bulk, along with shorter-than-ideal arms, he is going to have problems combating the NFL's bigger nose guards. He is not the type that can handle a defender over his head and will be limited to teams utilizing a zone blocking scheme. With his desire and nasty disposition, you don't want to label him a reject, even though his physical numbers indicate that. Just look at McClure and Tom Nalen (ex-Denver), players of similar size and stature who have gone on to success when others had doubts in their ability to play in the NFL.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.88

Started his last 39 games at center, recording 208 knockdowns, 27 touchdown-resulting blocks and 16 down field blocks while participating in 3,014 plays … Also recorded six tackles (4 solos) with two sacks for losses of 12 yards … Allowed just one quarterback sack and four pressures on his last 798 pass plays … Became the first center since Barry Tielsch in 1996 to serve as team captain (2008).

Earned All-American first-team honors from ESPN, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, adding second-team accolades from the Associated Press, becoming the 92nd Nittany Lion to earn first-team national honors … All-Big Ten Conference first-team choice and named the league's Offensive Lineman of the Year … Rimington Trophy recipient, given to the nation's premier performer at center (first Penn State player to win that award since its inception in 2000) … One of three Penn State students nominated for the prestigious Dapper Dan Awards, awarded annually by the Dapper Dan Sports Charities to the figure from the Pittsburgh area who has made the most outstanding accomplishment in sports in the past year … Became the team's first center to be named captain since 1996 … Graded 83.54 percent for blocking consistency, as he led the league's centers with 11 touchdown-resulting blocks and 78 knockdowns … Allowed only two quarterback pressures and no sacks on 383 pass plays … Paved the way for a squad that ranked 17th in the nation (second in the Big Ten) in rushing (205.85 ypg), 14th in total offense (448.92 ypg, tops in the league) and 11th in scoring (Big Ten-leading 38.92 ppg) … Called blocking assignments for an offensive line that ranked fourth nationally and led the conference for fewest sacks allowed (1.00 spg).

Coastal Carolina … Shipley opened the season in explosive fashion, delivering nine knockdowns and two touchdown-resulting blocks in just a little over two quarters of action … He leveled defensive tackle Robert Balkunas on a second quarter 7-yard touchdown run by Stephfon Green and then cleared a path up the middle for Evan Royster's 10-yard scoring burst … Head to Head Competition-NG#49-Ronnie Mason (6;04-279)-No tackles … Offensive Impact-Shipley recorded nine knockdowns, one down field block and two touchdown-resulting blocks, grading 98 percent … Helped the team gain 334 yards with seven touchdowns on 43 carries (7.77 ypc), complete 19-of-26 passes for 260 yards with a score and gain 594 total yards on 69 plays (8.61 yards per play).

Oregon State … Shipley recorded two more touchdown-resulting blocks, paving the way for an offense that totaled 454 yards … Midway through the first quarter, he flipped linebacker Keith Pankey to the ground, giving QB Darryl Clark time to lob a 5-yard scoring pass to tight end Mickey Shuler … With 0:14 left in the first half, he cut down nose guard Stephen Paea on a 28-yard touchdown run by tailback Evan Royster … Head to Head Competition-NG#54-Stephen Paea (6:01-303)-One solo tackle … Offensive Impact-Shipley recorded five knockdowns, one down field block and two touchdown-resulting blocks, grading 92 percent … Helped the team gain 239 yards with four touchdowns on 38 carries (6.29 ypc), complete 14-of-27 passes for 215 yards, including two scores and gain 454 total yards on 65 plays (6.98 yards per play).

Temple … The offensive captain was in on nine knockdowns, matching his season-high, as the Lions piled up 546 yards … On the team's first possession of the second quarter, he leveled linebacker Elijah Joseph on QB Darryl Clark's 20-yard scoring strike to Brett Brackett that ended a 6-play, 80-yard series … He later teamed with left tackle Gerald Cadogan to lead the sweep on an 11-yard scoring scamper by Clark with 1:07 left in the third stanza … Head to Head Competition-NG#98-Andre Neblett (6:02-288)-Three tackles (1 solos), one stop for a 2-yard loss, one forced fumble … Offensive Impact-Shipley recorded nine knockdowns, one down field block and one touchdown-resulting block, grading 89 percent … Helped the team gain 308 yards with four touchdowns on 45 carries (5.02 ypc), complete 18-of-31 passes for 238 yards and two scores, and gain 546 total yards on 76 plays (7.18 yards per play).

Michigan … Shipley emerged victorious from a fierce battle with All-Big Ten nose guard Terrance Taylor, knocking the Wolverine down five times while keeping him out of the PSU backfield … Shoved Taylor out of the way on QB Darryl Clark's 3-yard touchdown lob to Jordan Norwood that finished a 9-play, 74-yard second quarter series … Head to Head Competition-NG#67-Terrance Taylor (6:00-319)-Four tackles (1 solo) … Offensive Impact-Shipley recorded five knockdowns, one down field block and one touchdown-resulting block, grading 86 percent … Helped the team gain 231 yards with three touchdowns on 38 carries (6.08 ypc), complete 19-of-33 passes for 251 yards and two scores, and gain 482 total yards on 71 plays (6.79 yards per play).

Indiana … The offense collected 442 yards, as Shipley made six knockdowns … With 1:14 left in the first half, he took down nose guard Greg Brown and then held off linebacker Matt Mayberry to give QB Darryl Clark protection needed as he fired a 39-yard scoring pass to Derrick Williams … Head to Head Competition-NG#62-Greg Brown (6:02-303)-Three solo tackles … Offensive Impact-Shipley recorded six knockdowns, one down field block and two touchdown-resulting blocks, grading 85 percent … Helped the team gain 184 yards with two touchdowns on 38 carries (4.84 ypc), complete 22-of-39 passes for 258 yards and two scores, and gain 442 total yards on 77 plays (5.74 yards per play).

All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection … Started every game at center, logging action in 997 snaps … Collected 76 knockdowns, six down field blocks and nine touchdown-resulting blocks, finishing with an 83.23 percent grade for blocking consistency … Allowed just one quarterback sack and two pressures on 415 pass plays, leading a front wall that saw PSU passers sacked just 20 times for the season … Part of a squad that averaged 400.08 yards and 30.31 points per game … Named to ESPN's All-Bowl Team, as he caught a deflected pass for a 4-yard gain vs. Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.

The Nittany Lions ran for 200 yards or more six times, with 270 yards vs. Texas A&M, 256 yards vs. Iowa and 251 yards vs. Purdue … The offensive line put together one of the season's best performances on the ground in the Valero Alamo Bowl. In the 24-17 victory over Texas A&M, the Lions accumulated a season-high 270 yards on the ground, averaging 6.6 yards per play. Shipley made his first career reception, rumbling for four yards after snaring a deflected pass, and earned a spot on the ESPN.com All-Bowl team.

Shipley moved into the starting lineup at center, competing in 897 plays … Produced 54 knockdowns, five down field blocks and seven touchdown-resulting blocks to record a blocking consistency grade of 80.23 percent … Also recorded a solo tackle vs. Northwestern.. Allowed three quarterback sacks and four pressures on 424 pass plays … Helped the Nittany Lions average 349.92 yards in total offense, 199.92 yards passing and 150.0 yards rushing per game.

Was instrumental in helping the Nittany Lions rush for a season-high 389 yards vs. Youngstown State, their highest total in four years, and gain 233 yards rushing vs. North-western … At Purdue, Shipley and the O-Line paved the way for 240 yards on the ground … The Lions rushed for 212 yards vs. Temple to record Penn State's fourth 200-yard rushing game of the season … Was instrumental in helping Tony Hunt become just the sixth Nittany Lion to compile a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Shifted to center in spring drills, staying at that position as a reserve while also competing at offensive guard until the coaches moved him back to defensive tackle prior to the eighth game of the season vs. Illinois … Finished with five tackles (3 solos) and two sacks for losses of 12 yards while competing in 226 snaps.

In his first varsity experience at defensive tackle, Shipley posted three tackles and a 7-yard sack vs. Illinois … Added an assisted tackle vs. Purdue … Also produced a 5-yard sack in the Wisconsin clash.

Redshirted as a freshman … Played on the scout team as a defensive tackle.

No major injuries reported.

Campus: 5.21 in the 40-yard dash … 1.80 10-yard dash … 3.00 20-yard dash … 4.69 20-yard shuttle … 7.58 three-cone drill … 28-inch vertical jump … 8'8" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times … 525-pound squat … 326-pound power clean … 31 5/8-inch arm length … 9 5/8-inch hands.

Combine: 5.19 in the 40-yard dash … 1.62 10-yard dash … 2.93 20-yard dash … 4.40 20-yard shuttle … 7.46 three-cone drill … 31-inch vertical jump … 8'4" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times … 29 3/4-inch arm length … 9 1/2-inch hands.

Attended Moon Area (Coraopolis, Pa.) High school, playing football for head coach Mark Capuano … Standout defensive lineman in four seasons with the varsity … Member of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25, and the Harrisburg Patriot-News Platinum 33 squads … Played in the 2004 "Big 33" Classic … As a senior, he helped the squad reach the Western Pennsylvania District Class AAA semifinals after winning the Parkway Conference title … Recorded 53 tackles as a senior, including 13 for loss and three sacks, as he also forced two fumbles … Ended his career with 243 tackles, 41 for loss and 13 sacks … Three-year starter in basketball and was a two-year captain of the football and basketball teams.

Graduated in December 2008 with a degree in Labor and Industrial Relations … Son of Patricia and Allan Shipley … Born Allan Q. Shipley on 5/22/86 in Beaver County, Pa … .Resides in Coraopolis, Pa.