STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 3, 2004 - Penn State's leading receiver from last season, wideout Tony Johnson, has signed with the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers. His signing brings the number of 2003 Penn State seniors who were drafted or signed to nine thus far.

Johnson (State College) will join former Nittany Lion defensive tackle Anthony Adams with the 49ers.

A three-year starter, Johnson led Penn State with 32 receptions for 445 yards (13.9), including a team-high four touchdown catches in 2003. He also returned five kickoffs for 96 yards. Johnson finished his career with 107 receptions for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns to rank seventh in catches and eighth in receiving yardage, respectively, in school history.

Johnson made a career-high seven receptions for 89 yards and returned two kickoffs 39 yards vs. Boston College. He tied his career-best with seven catches for 122 yards vs. Wisconsin, including a 53-yard grab. In his final home game, Johnson made three catches for 47 yards and a career-high three touchdowns vs. Indiana. He became the first Nittany Lion with three touchdown catches in a game since Joe Jurevicius in 1997.

A former State College Area High School All-American, Johnson made three catches for a game-high 75 yards to help the Blue win the 2003 Blue-Gray Classic.

Johnson joins his older brother, Larry, in the NFL. Larry Johnson is entering his second season as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Penn State had four players selected in the 2004 NFL Draft: cornerback Rich Gardner (3rd, Tennessee); tight end Matt Kranchick (6th, Pittsburgh); placekicker David Kimball (7th, Indianapolis) and fullback Sean McHugh (7th, Tennessee).

In addition to Tony Johnson, four other former Lions have signed with NFL teams: linebacker Gino Capone (Minnesota); tackle Chris McKelvy (New Orleans), linebacker Deryck Toles (Atlanta) and safety Yaacov Yisrael (Pittsburgh).