Welcome to college football? Penn State players explain the leap from high school (2024)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — For Penn State’s youngest players, much of the past year has been about acclimating to all aspects of college football.

There was weight to put on, some in excess of 30 pounds. Linebacker Tony Rojas, one of five players who burned his redshirt, spent time working with the team’s nutritionist to figure out how to best pack on good weight, going from 190 pounds to 220 ahead of last season. He’s now hovering around 231. Rojas said he’d supplement his meals away from the team’s nutrition bar with a Chipotle order he can now quickly rattle off.

“Chipotle was my go-to spot,” Rojas said last week, his first time meeting with reporters since enrollment. “I’d get white rice, black beans, double chicken, pico, corn, lettuce.”

Some of Penn State’s second-year players are just now getting their first taste of the team’s grueling winter workouts, and those morning sessions have been a reminder of how much more difficult everything is in college football compared to high school.

“If they would’ve told me they were this hard, then I don’t know if I would’ve came here,” sophom*ore defensive end Jameial Lyons said between laughs. Lyons didn’t arrive on campus until last June, so this is his first full offseason. “You get used to it, but my first day of winter workouts, I threw up! It was crazy.”

Lyons wasn’t the only one. Newcomer or not, those morning sessions are a not-so-subtle reminder about just how difficult the offseason workouts are designed to be.

“The first workout, that’s the one where everyone throws up,” Rojas said. “(As long as) you throw up and you get back to work, that’s all coach (James) Franklin cares about. If you’re just not leaned over or throwing up for too long, then you’re fine.”

On top of workouts and learning the playbook, there are also all the more traditional aspects of acclimating to college. There’s the dorm room, a roommate, time-management skills, study hall and, for some, a cell phone that’s now loaded with pictures of snow.

“I was on Instagram and I took like 20 videos, sent 30 to my mom,” said safety King Mack, a south-Florida native who hadn’t seen snow until arriving in Happy Valley. “I was making snowballs — I didn’t think it felt the way it looked!”

Penn State’s second-year players met with reporters last week for the first time and shed light on their adjustment to college football. Whether they were running the scout team or recording their first sack, they all had moments last season when reality hit them.

In their own words, these are the moments where Penn State’s second-year players were welcomed to college football.

OL Anthony Donkoh

During spring ball, it was a passing period and I was going up against Hakeem (Beamon). I was setting, and when I set I wasn’t like sitting. He has a great move where he drops his weight and he just fires and explodes up. We call it the forklift. That’s what he did to me! He put me on my butt.

I was just like, “Yoooo.” I was glad that Beau (Pribula) got the ball out in time, but it was just like, “Oh my gosh.” That was my welcome to college football moment, for real. The guys all just looked at me. (Laughs) It was bad.”

QB Jaxon Smolik

I had one in spring ball. We were doing some drill and Franklin always says, you know, “Make sure you run through the whistle.” I didn’t one time and he yelled at me to run. I was like, “I’ll run next time!” He was like, “No! Run now!” I had to sprint 40 yards down the field (laughs). That was my welcome to college football moment.

LB Tony Rojas

It was definitely the UMass game where I got ran over. I made the tackle, but I got ran over and it was showing in the defensive meeting. After that, I just feel like I’ve been attacking my legs more. I told the strength coach that I need to work on my legs more, so that’s what I’ve been doing.

S DaKaari Nelson

I’ll never forget this play. It was during camp. It was one of my first plays like actually playing live in practice. Cristian Driver, the receiver, he ran a jet sweep and I missed a tackle. I just got up and stood there.

When I looked at the sideline, all I saw was Manny (Diaz) full speed running at me. I just took off and ran away and acted like I was chasing the ball (laughs).

S King Mack

Last fall camp during the 2-minute drill … Offense throws a pick and the D-end catches it, Amin (Vanover), catches the pick and he starts running. Mind you, it’s 2-minute and if you catch an interception, (you’re supposed to) get down as fast as you can. He starts running and tries to return it. All you see is coach Franklin running from all the way across the field: “Stop! Get on the ground!” He starts blowing the whistle. He ends up tackling Amin! He tackled him! …

After practice when (Franklin) talked he was like, “Listen guys, we have to be smarter in 2-minute. We catch a pick, go down. We don’t need a pick six.” … He just bear hugged him and Amin fell to the ground.

DE Jameial Lyons

Against Delaware when I first got in, when I was really playing and I got a sack on the quarterback — I don’t think people understand like after those six seconds, it’s crazy. The crowd was just going crazy and I was like, “Wow.” That right there was a humbling experience. I was like, “Geez. I really just made that play?!” Then when you watch it on film you’re like, “Whoa.”

LB Ta’Mere Robinson

Last year, when I first came in, it was like my third winter workout. It was the fourth station. We had five stations and this was my fourth one, so I’m really tired. The time is up and I’m going still and I’m competing in the drill and I go to the L drill. We gotta shuffle around the cones and I shuffle and I knock the cone over. After I knock it over they’re like, “Finish, finish!” So I do and then I had to go back and do (the drill) again. Then, I knocked the cone over again.

Coach Franklin is right there, so he’s like, “Come on! You gotta go! Get up!” So I stopped and I went straight back. I didn’t finish. He’s like, “Are you serious?! You’re not gonna finish?” I was like, “Oh, OK. This is serious. This is how it is.” I just learned that everything I do I gotta finish.

OL J’ven Williams

As soon as I stepped on campus, Dani (Dennis-Sutton) and Chop (Robinson), those are the two guys that I’d say they put me on my back before. That definitely humbled me, those two guys.

OL Chimdy Onoh

I think everybody when they first come in has that humbling moment where you think that you’re all good and then you just get shown up. I definitely had that moment a couple of times. We have competitive periods before practice where you have like the whole team around. We have a 1-on-1 and pretty much all eyes are on you. And when you fail, everyone sees it. You just gotta let that moment resonate with you.

I was on the scout team and pretty much all practice it was just me and Adisa Isaac. Also, Chop Robinson. Those two are some serious guys, so I was getting all the improvement I can, all the work I can, but those guys got me pretty much all year.

TE Joey Schlaffer

From the time that I got here last January, you start working out with the team and you look around and you’re like, “Wow.” These guys are real big. And really strong. And really fast. … Then, when you put the pads on finally in spring ball it’s way different than high school, no doubt about it.

RB Cam Wallace

Right away in the weight room. I thought I was a strong guy (laughs). I see Nick Singleton cleaning 405, squatting all this. I was like, my God. So, I knew I had to stay on track, had to come in everyday and get extra work. … Nick is crazy. The whole team will tell you he’s crazy. Strength-wise, on-the-field-wise, knowledge-wise. … During pass pro, I don’t remember who it was, but he just put a guy on his butt! … He’s strong.

(Top photo of Jameial Lyons: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)