H.S. Football: Cedar Cliff's Breneman impressed on unofficial visit to PSU
By Bill Landis, Sentinel Reporter
Posted: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Ceder Cliff's Adam Breneman, top, and South West's Mike Pugh.
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Throughout the recruiting process, Cedar Cliff tight end Adam Breneman has constantly been reminded to approach each potential suitor as a student and a football player, rather than as a fan.
With some of the biggest programs in the country clamoring for his services, surely it's difficult for Breneman to not get a little star-struck every now and then. When coaches have the added ability to hang their hat on success in the NFL, it can be even more difficult.
That's precisely what happened to Breneman on an unofficial visit to Penn State Friday when he sat down with Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien -- the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.
"It's neat," Breneman said. "Especially all the success that he had in New England with the offense and being Tom Brady's quarterback coach. Arguably the two best tight ends in the NFL were both under him. It's exciting to see the success that he's had, but at the end of the day you're going to the school as a player, not as a fan. So you have to separate the two."
Breneman has openly admitted he grew up a Penn State fan and has demonstrated his admiration for Penn State's former coach, the late Joe Paterno. But that doesn't mean the Lions are automatically the front-runner in the Breneman sweepstakes.
The 6-foot-5, 230 pound junior plans to visit the Lions' Big Ten rival
Ohio State on Feb. 27 and has a laundry list of offers -- currently up to 33 - from venerable FBS programs.
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