Connors-McChristian is out for the season with a broken leg./Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News

The injury bug continues to bite Khayree Connors-McChristian.

The Gannon senior safety missed today’s rivalry game against Mercyhurst after breaking two bones in his lower left leg at Wednesday’s practice.

The Lakers won 38-29.

“I broke my fibula and tibia,” he said at today’s game. “I’m done.”

Connors-McChristian was a medical redshirt in 2010 after breaking his right forearm in Week 3 against Millersville.

This season, Connors-McChristian was leading Gannon in tackles with 55 total stops before getting injured in practice. Gannon practices in the mornings and it was raining.

“I was blocking someone and someone rolled under me, right into my leg,” he said. “I caught the turf and it just snapped.”

A Sicklerville, N.J. native, Connors-McChristian watched the game from the sidelines in a wheelchair. He was greeted by numerous fans there.

“I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Unfortunately, since I’ve been here, it happened to me six times.  Six years. Six times. We all have our path and this is part of my path. Unfortunate, but greater things will come from it, I believe.”

“My friends always tell me I have a positive attitude about everything so this is one of those things I got to have a positive attitude. Otherwise I’ll be just in the dark sleeping somewhere and miserable.”

True freshman Matt Astorino, an General McLane graduate and younger brother of former Penn State safety Drew Astorino, started in Connors-McChristian’s place. He ha five total tackles.

“I told him just go out there and play fearless,” Connors-McChristian said. “Take care of what coach taught you. Do everything coach taught you.”

– Duane Rankin

Drew Astorino

Today, Penn State senior safety Drew Astorino, an General McLane graduate, had a media conference call and talked about Joe Paterno resigning today.

Paterno had a team meeting with the players at 11 a.m. today to tell them he’s resigning at the end of the season.

“He just told us he put in a letter of resignation,” Astorino said. “He thinks that would be best for Penn State, best for his family and best for everybody else. He doesn’t want to put Penn State or anyone else through a war, fight or media war against anybody. He said he’s (been there) for Penn State more than anything for the past 61 years and he’s just always wants us to remember that this team will always  be a team and always be together. Not just for the next so many games. Not just next year. We’ll be a team for the rest of our lives and he wants us to never forget that.”

This comes on the heels of former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky having been indicted on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years.

Coming out of the meeting, Astorino also said he got the impression Paterno is going to coach the rest of the season. The Nittany Lions (8-1) play their final home game of the 2011 season Saturday against Nebraska.

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Here’s Penn State senior safety Drew Astorino, an General McLane graduate, giving a preview of Saturday’s Big Ten home opener against Iowa at Beaver Stadium.

Check out the McLane T-shirt he’s sporting.

Astorino has made 20 total tackles this season for the Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten).