Aug. 7, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Akeel Lynch has patiently waited for the opportunity that he has in front of him right now.
When training camp opened on Thursday, he wasn't standing in line behind two veteran running backs during individual drills. He wasn't listening to older players speak first in the meeting room.
The Toronto native was busy setting the tone for the peers around him.
He's the same well-spoken, enthusiastic guy that he has always been, but Lynch walked and talked with an air of confidence during the media day festivities his teammates and coaches haven't seen before.
With every opportunity comes added responsibility.
Lynch knows that.
And he's not only up for the task of being the guy to lead the Penn State running backs in 2015, he's embracing it with open arms.
"I have to prove myself each and every day throughout camp and during the season," Lynch said. "Being an older guy, I definitely have the advantage with experience over the young guys, so my role is to help these guys and pick them up. When you have iron with iron, that's when you get a lot of competition and bring the best out of yourself. I need to bring these guys up with me. Competing with me will bring the best out of all of us."
Lynch took the reins of the backfield during the latter stages of 2014. He finished the season playing the best ball of his career. Logging seven straight games with 12 or more carries, including back-to-back 130-yard plus outings in November, Lynch scored touchdowns in three of the final four games and tallied 75 yards on 17 carries in the Pinstripe Bowl.
"I can't wait to see him play this year. I cannot wait," said offensive coordinator John Donovan. "From the little that we're allowed to be around them right now, he seems very focused and locked in, very determined. He ended the year last year on a great note."
The 42nd Penn State player to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards, Lynch is the type of dynamic back head coach James Franklin likes to mentor.
"He's kind of the guys that I like to coach in terms of he may not have one specific special trait, but he's got a lot of really good traits," said Franklin. "He's not an undersized back, but I wouldn't say he's a huge back. He's got good speed. He's got the strength and power to break tackles. He's got the ability to make people miss and catch out of the backfield, which we'd like for him to have a bigger role in those things for this year, and he does all those things well, and guys that do a lot of things well, it usually continues to translate and grow."
His evolution as a player is a byproduct of the foundation he laid during his first three seasons. Lynch is an improved blocker and a better runner than he was when he walked on to campus because of the tireless work he has put in on and off the field. And thanks to an offensive line that returns four starters, Lynch is primed to start 2015 the way he finished 2014.
"He's probably been as consistent and as hard working as anybody in our program, and just done a great job," said Franklin. "He's been patient and kind of waited for his time, and he's prepared that when that time comes, he's going to be ready."
The opportunity has arrived, and Lynch is ready to run with it.