Aug. 13, 2009
#85 Ollie Ogbu, Sr./Jr. DT
Guys who will step up to bolster the front line in the future
Brandon Ware and Jordan Hill, those are key guys who we're going to being playing with next year. So look for those guys in the middle to step up and secure that third, fourth, and fifth spot.
How other players been doing on the defensive line
They've all been doing well. We have Jerome Hayes, Jack Crawford, Eric Latimore and Kevion Latham who have been rotating for the ones and twos. They showed up the defensive tackles yesterday with a couple of sacks. They did really well yesterday so kudos to them.
Competition in practice
Yes of course, just to create some fun and keep practice light. I'd definitely say there's competition between D-linemen.
Handling the weather
We've lost even more weight. Coach Paterno does a good job in keeping us in the same tempo, so it's never different. Yesterday was better than our first day and tomorrow will be better than that. We have to get used to the heat and we're handling it well.
#5 Jerome Hayes, 5th Yr./Sr. LB
On Coach Larry Johnson
To see him come back and want to see us grow as players and as individuals, it meant a lot to me. It made me work a little bit harder.
On which rehabilitation from two ACL injuries was longer
I got hurt in mid-October in 2007 and this time around I got hurt in the second week of September so this one was longer. It took me a little bit longer last year up until the second semester, but both were roughly 10-11 months.
The more difficult injury
Mentally probably the second one, physically the first. I think they were the same thing, I hurt myself on similar type plays, I hurt both ACLs and MCLs and the training staff did a great job with me.
Lowest mental point of rehab
Immediately following the surgery. Coming in laying on the table and seeing your leg and you're missing the quad muscle and hamstrings, the stuff around you're knees, you can't really flex your calves, it hurts. You're so used to being able to have everything and not be able to do anything or move, it's tough mentally. It really is.
Why me?
As soon as I felt my knee pop I asked myself that question. It was tough, it really was, fortunately for me I have great friends and great family and I could bounce back.
#28 Drew Astorino, Jr./So. Safety
Strength of the defense
The front guys are some of the best in the country and they're going to get pressure on the quarterback. They are the secondary's best friend. It's going to be tough to run the ball against us, with such great linebackers and linemen. It puts a lot of ownership on the secondary and we have to step up not only to prove ourselves and make our defense work. Those guys help out the secondary a lot.
On Penn State offering a scholarship
I can remember it was two days before the signing day. When Joe called my house, it was 9 a.m. and I had a snow day. He says I have a scholarship, and I remember going down and telling my mom, `I'm going to Penn State.' It is ridiculous to end up in the situation that I'm in right now is pretty wild to tell you the truth. It's great.
Responsibility to lead the secondary
I hope I'm that guy [like Anthony Scirrotto]. I like that responsibility and I want that responsibility. I'm excited, I hope people look to me for some calls and people look to me for advice. I embrace it.
Being around veterans and taking over for them after they graduate
Everything I have today is from those guys. Watching film and practicing with them and being behind Anthony Scrriotto on every rep, I would watch him. What is he doing? That's who I looked to and all the skills I have today are basically from them.
Seeing the new wide receivers filling big roles on offense
You have guys like Derek Moye and A.J. Price who are great receivers that many people don't know about. The guys are great, it's just that people haven't seen them play yet because we had seasoned veterans. Maybe if those veterans weren't here they would've seen more time, but it's an advantage. They watched the Deon Butlers practice and play every day, so it's only to our advantage. It's our time now to shine. We have to prove we can win the Big Ten and contend for a national championship.
On any added pressure to the defense
No nervousness at all. I'm very confident in everybody around me - the linebackers, the secondary, and the D-Line. We've just got to keep working. That's what we have to focus on right now - keep getting better every single day.
On exceeding personal expectations as a college football player
Just being part of this university, part of this football team has been a dream come true. I never expected anything like this to happen, so every single day, I'm very thankful for this situation, thankful I was recruited and thankful I'm here in the first place. I didn't expect to be here, I didn't expect to be in this situation but it's worked out great.
On time flying
This is going to be my third year in college. It's pretty crazy. I'm having a great time. Every day in practice, I'm getting better. Even just practicing, lifting, running and being part of the team, it's fun every single day. Time flying by is an extreme understatement of what goes on.
On what is expected out of him this season
I don't know if they're asking anything more of me than any other person on the defense. I just have to do my job. Everybody else around me is extremely good. We've got a lot of great guys, so I don't need to do anything special. I need to do my job and help out the younger kids. They're going to step up and be in the same situation, so they will have to do it too. I have extreme confidence in all those guys.