Penn State football: Defensive tackle Daquan Jones named senior MVP | Centre Daily Times

Defensive tackle Daquan Jones was chosen most valuable player of the 2013 Penn State football team.

The all-Big Ten standout was presented with the Lions’ Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award on Sunday, during the State College Quarterback Club’s annual banquet honoring the team.

The event attracted nearly 750 people to the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel’s main ballroom.

Jones, a co-captain, was among 17 seniors honored for their roles in helping the Lions post 8-4 and 7-5 marks, respectively, over the past two years.

Penn State defeated No. 14 Wisconsin 31-24 win on Nov. 30 to close out the 2013 season.

“This is a fantastic group of guys,” head coach Bill O’Brien said of the seniors. “They were resilient. They accepted their roles. They knew what it meant to play for Penn State. I can’t thank these guys enough. This program is about the players. It will always be about the players. We feel good about the future.”

Jones joins Lou Benfatti (1993), Brandon Noble (1996) and Devon Still (2011) as defensive tackles named team MVP since the award was first presented in 1978.

Jones led Penn State with 11.5 tackles for loss and finish fifth with 56 total tackles (33 solo). He also had three sacks and had a fumble recovery.

He will play in the 65th Senior Bowl on Jan. 25.