College Football 2008
Penn State Readies for Run at Big 10
By Jay Skapanic

A successful season demands more than simply the appropriate personal, coaching or game planning. It transcends mere ability or luck. Certain intangible qualities are necessary for a team to achieve its full potential, even a talented team. The most important of these characteristics is leadership. In tumultuous situations, it is imperative that the appropriate leaders rise to the occasion and provide guidance for the whole. For the Penn State Nittany Lions, that time is here and now.

Following a mediocre season, which failed to ever truly live up to expectations, the off-season of discontent, ensued. A flurry of off of the field incidents arose, and the futures of many players remain in doubt. All of the while, head Coach Joe Paterno's own future remains equally uncertain. While the team is in most need of leadership, disaster struck in the form of a non-contact drill on April 11. Sean Lee tore the ACL in his right knee and consequently will miss the entirety of the 2008 season. Coach Paterno identifies this as a problem that goes beyond the football field.

"Sean Lee is one heck of a football player," Paterno said. "It's not just the physical loss to us. He's everything you want in a football player. He's got poise. He comes to practice everyday. He works like a dog and the whole bit."

According to Lee, he has been taking measures to influence the football team despite his absence on the field.

"Last season I tried to be more vocal. Even though I can't be on the field with them I'm still working hard," Lee said. "If you come in the training room I'm going to be there working hard.

However, Lee does acknowledge that his role will be different.

"I try to give them advice and help the guys in other ways, but I'm not going through a lot of the workouts with them," Lee said. "I can't be with them on the field, and that's going to be tough for me."

In that absence, others will have to step into the void left by Lee to take the leadership reigns. Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley sees this process as a natural progression.

"A lot of times, leadership isn't going to emerge until someone feels very confident in what they're doing," Bradley said. "They've got to feel good about themselves before they can get others to feel good. When someone just promotes themselves as a leader, the kids won't buy it."

Senior captain Josh Gaines understands the expectations for this team and believes he and other teammates are prepared to do all that is necessary to lead these players.

"The players voted me a captain for a reason. I'm going to do what I do," Gaines said. "Every team wants to win a National Championship. Every team is feeling good about what they have. But, you have to go out everyday and work hard and get better. You're only as good as the weakest player. So as a captain I just try to get out and make the slower guy faster, to make the weaker guy stronger."

Senior Captain Derrick Williams doesn't see the team as lacking leaders.

"I think everyone of the captains has leaned from the captains in the past," Williams said. "Every guy we have this year has a way to get to the players, and I think we'll be fine."

However, there are more concerns for this team than merely their opponents on the field. Derrick Williams sees the distractions off the field as something in the past, and promises it's something that will not happen again.

"Right now that stuff happened last year, the trouble we got into is behind us," Williams said. "The guys know there's no tolerance for that kind of behavior. The team has put it behind us; the fans have put it behind them.

AQ Shipley feels the issues off the field must be handled by the leaders on the team, such as him and the other upperclassman.

"With all of the off field problems we [captains] have to step up and take charge," Shipley said. "If you want to be here, you have to walk the straight and narrow. From the top down, the seniors have done a good job stressing to the younger guys to stay out of trouble.

Senior captain, Anthony Scirrotto has a unique insight into this issue, because he, himself has been embroiled in off-field trouble in the past.

"The guys saw the way I handled it. I wasn't vocal but they learned by what I went through," Scirrotto said. "We are one as a team. It was a learning process for all of us, and now you just have to put that behind you and move on."

As for the widely publicized and often discussed, lack of a succession plan for Coach Paterno, the team views that as less of an issue than the off field legal incidents.

"Coach Paterno will be around as long as he wants to be," Scirrotto said." All of the players know that. He is our coach."

AQ Shipley feels it's a non-issue, and perhaps has even been over reported by the media. Still, he acknowledges the responsibility of the captains if it does become an issue.

"We're not concerned about it," Shipley said. The media makes it out to be more than it really is. But if a distraction does arise, somebody has to step up, and that's our jobs as captains."

As the team prepares to move on from the various perceived distractions in the locker room, those who have moved to forefront as leaders will soon be looked to on the field during game days. Tom Bradley understands the importance that the leaders will take on in this capacity and how that can transfer to success on the field.

"Leadership has to come from the players. As a coach, you try to foster it and make it grow but it has to happen naturally. They've got to take that upon themselves," said Bradley. "We had good leadership on both sides of the ball [in 2005]."

All of the captains hope to take the leadership lessons learned during the 2005 season and translate that into a successful season this year. AQ Shipley can not stress the importance of that season enough.

"2005 was the first taste of what it was to win big," Shipley said. "We got to see what it takes to win and what kind of leadership that takes. Now the captains' job this year is to try to emulate that."

Anthony Scirrotto feels that while the captains have learned something from that year, they are not the only leaders on this team.

"They [the captains] did a great job and were the best leaders we could have had [in 2005]. They were a big reason for the success we had," Scirrotto said. "Now it's our turn. We have to step in now and fill those shoes and lead on the field and off." At the same time, it's hard to say we're the only four of five captains on this team. The entire senior class has taken on a leadership role."

It remains unclear as to what kind of year the Nittany Lions will have, or whether those who have assumed the role as leaders will be able shoulder the responsibility once the season begins. As Sean Lee sees it, these questions parallel one another.

"Last year we made some good plays, but you have to turn a good play into a great one," Lee said. "We didn't do that last year, and we have to find a way to do that this season. I think that stems directly from leadership."

Penn State Preview

The 2008 season is full of experience and question marks for the Penn State football team.

If the latter is handled correctly, the blue and white may be a sleeping giant in the Big Ten.

Aside from possibly Oregon State the second week of the schedule, this team should not be tested until the week five Big Ten opener against Illinois.

The offensive line will be the key to the Nittany Lions success this year.

This line is anchored by two local products, center and team captain A.Q. Shipley (Moon) and guard Stefen Wisniewski (Pittsburgh C.C.). These two, along with guard Rich Ohrnberger, tackle Dennis Landlot and tackle Gerald Cadogan will provide the much needed wall up front.

All of the scheduled starters are seniors except for Wisniewski.

Wisniewski is a sophomore that comes from a tremendous family pedigree- his father and uncle both played for the blue and white as well as in the National Football League.

"He's a smart kid," Shipley said of Wisniewski. "He's got it all, he really does."

The line play will be important considering there are questions at quarterback.

Ultimately, two players, Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin, will battle to fill the void left by the graduation of Penn Hills product Anthony Morelli.

The feeling around Happy Valley has the initial edge going to Clark.

But, how will either replace Morelli?

"We're going to ask them to do some different things," assistant coach Jay Paterno said. "It's tough to compare how they're going to play opposed to what we had in Morrelli last year."

The decided winner of the QB competition can rest easy that there is a great stable of offensive talent around him.

Senior wideouts Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams add experienced targets to the mix.

The backfield will be manned by junior Evan Royster, with red shirt sophomore (and spring game superstar) Stephfon Green getting his share of carries behind that big offensive line.

Experience on the defensive line will also play a crucial role in Penn State's success. Juniors Ollie Ogbu (DT) and Abe Koroma (DT) will plug the middle and standout defensive ends Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines will apply much needed pressure.

The pressure will be welcomed as the secondary and linebacker positions have concerns.

With the graduation of Dan Connor and the injury to Sean Lee, for the first time in years the linebacking corps at PSU has questions.

That is not to say Bani Gbadyu, Josh Hull or Butler's Tyrell Sales will not fill in admirably, but anytime a team loses 283 tackles and 10 sacks (Connor and Lee's combined 2007 total) it will show.

Team captain Anthony Scirrotto must take charge of the secondary and establish himself early as the feared hitter he is.

The cornerbacks must prove they can cover in man situations or else it could be a rough year down the field.

Some of the questions surrounding the team will take as long as the fifth week of the season to surface.

This means that 8:00 p.m. game against the Illini should prove to be a true prime time fight.