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Is Posluszny slower?
The All-American linebacker says no - he's simply adjusting to a new position.
Daily Record/Sunday News
Sep 15, 2006 ? All-American linebacker Paul Posluszny is wearing a knee brace.
And he's playing a new position.
That's all it is.
He said he feels fine. He said he hasn't lost speed since last fall. He said he is perfectly happy with his rehab on the knee he injured in January's Orange Bowl.
He does have to wear that brace. And he has switched from outside linebacker to middle linebacker this season.
Those are two reasons why, he says, he hasn't looked like his helmet-smashing, high-speed, big-play self as the Nittany Lions prepare for Saturday's home game against Youngstown State.
Fans and media members have said he looks slow and bulky so far.
Though he said the brace is not a significant hindrance, "It doesn't feel as comfortable as my free leg, but the trainers want to be cautious. I do think I would have more flexibility and more movement without it."
When will the brace come off?
"Today, if I could," Posluszny said. Actually, he hopes it will be gone after the Ohio State game.
"I don't think I've lost a step. I just haven't played as well as I should have," he said. "Things have changed for me more mentally and physically, but I haven't lost a step."
Now, as a middle linebacker, Posluszny patrols a more defined area of the field, often challenging linemen for tackles. He has new responsibilities. Last week, for example, he dropped back consistently into pass coverage, deep over the middle.
"Last year was my third year (at outside linebacker), and I always felt comfortable," Posluszny said. "This year is just a little different from last year. But I get more comfortable every week.
"I don't think it's me (getting more attention from offenses), in particular. It's just the middle linebacker spot gets more attention. Last year, when Tim Shaw played middle linebacker, offensive linemen were calling out his number and identifying him more. It just goes with the position."
Outside linebacker Dan Connor has more tackles than Posluszny (25 to 19), more tackles for loss (3.5 to 0) and more unassisted tackles (14 to 8).
"The criticism (of him) is very incorrect," Connor said. "Teams know Paul's our playmaker, and they make him a priority to block, which makes it more difficult to make plays, which tires him out. It's harder for him."
Of course, the Youngstown State Penguins - a good Division I-AA team - have a lot more to worry about Saturday than Posluszny. They are playing a Big Ten team for the first time ever. They are playing on the road for the first time this season.
And it appears they will have to live and die on the arm of quarterback Tom Zetts if they hope to stay close at halftime. No one has been able to run on Penn State yet, particularly because of their standout linebackers and tough tackles up front in Jay Alford and Ed Johnson.
On offense, figure that Penn State running backs Tony Hunt, Matt Hahn and Rodney Kinlaw will wear heavy on the Youngstown defense. Expect Hunt to continue his tough running from the Notre Dame game, turning in his first 100-yard day of the season.
A key will be working receivers Deon Butler and Derrick Williams back into the offense, as well as developing the suspect tight end position. True freshman Andrew Quarless should be the receiving threat at tight end at some point this season.
Also, look to the level of enthusiasm and energy on the field. And the concentration. All will be important showings for a team coming off a blowout loss at Notre Dame, for a team that must face No.1 Ohio State next week.
A young Nittany Lion team that needs positives to grow into what it should be this fall.
"I think we're a team ready to bounce back now," Butler said. "I didn't see too many sad faces (at practice this week)."
"We don't want to fall in the trap like Northwestern did," said safety Donnie Johnson, referring to the Wildcats' upset loss to New Hampshire. "The whole idea of losing keeps everybody motivated, especially to a Division I-AA school. How embarrassing that would be."
So while it's important to earn a second victory Saturday, it may more important how the victory is won.
There is a need to prepare for more important battles this fall.
Is Posluszny slower?
The All-American linebacker says no - he's simply adjusting to a new position.
Daily Record/Sunday News
Sep 15, 2006 ? All-American linebacker Paul Posluszny is wearing a knee brace.
And he's playing a new position.
That's all it is.
He said he feels fine. He said he hasn't lost speed since last fall. He said he is perfectly happy with his rehab on the knee he injured in January's Orange Bowl.
He does have to wear that brace. And he has switched from outside linebacker to middle linebacker this season.
Those are two reasons why, he says, he hasn't looked like his helmet-smashing, high-speed, big-play self as the Nittany Lions prepare for Saturday's home game against Youngstown State.
Fans and media members have said he looks slow and bulky so far.
Though he said the brace is not a significant hindrance, "It doesn't feel as comfortable as my free leg, but the trainers want to be cautious. I do think I would have more flexibility and more movement without it."
When will the brace come off?
"Today, if I could," Posluszny said. Actually, he hopes it will be gone after the Ohio State game.
"I don't think I've lost a step. I just haven't played as well as I should have," he said. "Things have changed for me more mentally and physically, but I haven't lost a step."
Now, as a middle linebacker, Posluszny patrols a more defined area of the field, often challenging linemen for tackles. He has new responsibilities. Last week, for example, he dropped back consistently into pass coverage, deep over the middle.
"Last year was my third year (at outside linebacker), and I always felt comfortable," Posluszny said. "This year is just a little different from last year. But I get more comfortable every week.
"I don't think it's me (getting more attention from offenses), in particular. It's just the middle linebacker spot gets more attention. Last year, when Tim Shaw played middle linebacker, offensive linemen were calling out his number and identifying him more. It just goes with the position."
Outside linebacker Dan Connor has more tackles than Posluszny (25 to 19), more tackles for loss (3.5 to 0) and more unassisted tackles (14 to 8).
"The criticism (of him) is very incorrect," Connor said. "Teams know Paul's our playmaker, and they make him a priority to block, which makes it more difficult to make plays, which tires him out. It's harder for him."
Of course, the Youngstown State Penguins - a good Division I-AA team - have a lot more to worry about Saturday than Posluszny. They are playing a Big Ten team for the first time ever. They are playing on the road for the first time this season.
And it appears they will have to live and die on the arm of quarterback Tom Zetts if they hope to stay close at halftime. No one has been able to run on Penn State yet, particularly because of their standout linebackers and tough tackles up front in Jay Alford and Ed Johnson.
On offense, figure that Penn State running backs Tony Hunt, Matt Hahn and Rodney Kinlaw will wear heavy on the Youngstown defense. Expect Hunt to continue his tough running from the Notre Dame game, turning in his first 100-yard day of the season.
A key will be working receivers Deon Butler and Derrick Williams back into the offense, as well as developing the suspect tight end position. True freshman Andrew Quarless should be the receiving threat at tight end at some point this season.
Also, look to the level of enthusiasm and energy on the field. And the concentration. All will be important showings for a team coming off a blowout loss at Notre Dame, for a team that must face No.1 Ohio State next week.
A young Nittany Lion team that needs positives to grow into what it should be this fall.
"I think we're a team ready to bounce back now," Butler said. "I didn't see too many sad faces (at practice this week)."
"We don't want to fall in the trap like Northwestern did," said safety Donnie Johnson, referring to the Wildcats' upset loss to New Hampshire. "The whole idea of losing keeps everybody motivated, especially to a Division I-AA school. How embarrassing that would be."
So while it's important to earn a second victory Saturday, it may more important how the victory is won.
There is a need to prepare for more important battles this fall.
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PSU's Posluszny nears record as Lions to face Boilermakers
By GENARO C. ARMAS
Associated Press Writer
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:19 AM CDT
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Paul Posluszny's trophies from the 2005 season have been collecting dust in his parents' basement. Mom and Dad may soon need to clear space for some new hardware.
The hard-nosed senior is again making big stops for Penn State, though 2006 didn't start quite as smoothly as last year's star-turning campaign, when Posluszny earned awards as the nation's best defensive player and linebacker.
Posluszny suffered a serious right knee injury during the Orange Bowl in January that limited him in the offseason. After going through rehabilitation, Posluszny was moved from outside to inside at the start of the season as coach Joe Paterno switched to a four-linebacker scheme. It took a while for Posluszny to get comfortable with the defense and his rehabbed knee.
Not that Purdue coach Joe Tiller noticed a difference.
"He looks like he came from the womb playing linebacker," said Tiller, whose Boilermakers (5-3, 2-2 Big Ten) host the Nittany Lions (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday. "The great ones are that way."
Posluszny is a semifinalist again to be the nation's top defender and linebacker. And he might soon be able add this to his resume -- he's 17 tackles shy of tying Greg Buttle's career record of 343 at Linebacker U.
"It's always good to hear. Anytime something comes up, it's not just for any particular player, it's for the defense in general," Posluszny said about the accolades. "But the most important thing right now is Purdue. The most important thing is winning."
Reserved off the field, "Pos" is a fiery competitor on gameday, so renowned for his leadership that teammates elected him the first two-time captain at Penn State since 1968-69.
He's a bookworm, too, having been the seventh Nittany Lion to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season. Posluszny has talked in the past of joining the military, though undoubtedly an NFL career awaits.
"Paul is one of the best linebackers that we've ever had," said Paterno, in his 41st year as head coach.
Still, there were questions about his knee to start the season. Posluszny was carted off the field during the Orange Bowl with two partially torn ligaments in his right knee.
He was held back from full contact at spring practice, but pronounced himself 100 percent to start the preseason. Team doctors have insisted that Posluszny wear a knee brace as a precaution, an order that the senior begrudgingly accepts.
Then coaches threw him another curve and asked him to play inside linebacker. With a lack of experienced linemen, the switch allowed Paterno to move Tim Shaw from middle linebacker to a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position and get young, talented Sean Lee into the starting lineup outside.
Posluszny didn't complain, though there were some early question marks.
He looked out of position at times and missed tackles on plays that appeared to be automatic hits last year. Some wondered if Posluszny was a step slower because of the knee.
"It seemed like at the beginning of the year with the first game, I didn't have double-digit tackles, and for some, they said, 'This kid is terrible now.' That was interesting, to say the least," Posluszny said.
Coaches dismissed questions about his knee, though Posluszny did say he felt more limited earlier in the season wearing a heavier brace. These days, he sports a smaller, less obtrusive contraption on the knee.
The biggest challenge was mental.
"I feel so much more comfortable now," he said. "I'm starting to finally feel at home at the position."
Not good news for opponents.
"Mentally, he's running the whole show," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
The highlight-reel plays -- such as his takedown of Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith from behind during a night game last year at Beaver Stadium -- aren't as frequent. Freewheeling outside linebackers often get more chances to make those kinds of plays.
He still made the highlights last week, bringing Illinois' Isiah Williams down from behind and reaching for the quarterback's right arm just enough to cause a fumble that led to Tony Davis' 6-yard touchdown return. The score gave the Nittany Lions' struggling offense some breathing room in a 26-12 win.
Posluszny went to Shaw for advice earlier in the year about playing inside, counsel that isn't needed as much anymore.
"He's got it pretty much down pat," Shaw said. "I knew it wouldn't take him that long."
Notes: Besides Posluszny, fellow linebacker Dan Connor was also named Wednesday as a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, for the nation's top defensive player. ... Left tackle Levi Brown revealed Wednesday that he had minor surgery on his left knee three weeks ago before the Minnesota game after tearing his meniscus, the shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee. Brown sat out games against Northwestern and Minnesota before returning Oct. 14 against Michigan. The offensive line has struggled since the loss to Michigan, and coach Joe Paterno said it may be due in part to shuffling his front five.
PSU's Posluszny nears record as Lions to face Boilermakers
By GENARO C. ARMAS
Associated Press Writer
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:19 AM CDT
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Paul Posluszny's trophies from the 2005 season have been collecting dust in his parents' basement. Mom and Dad may soon need to clear space for some new hardware.
The hard-nosed senior is again making big stops for Penn State, though 2006 didn't start quite as smoothly as last year's star-turning campaign, when Posluszny earned awards as the nation's best defensive player and linebacker.
Posluszny suffered a serious right knee injury during the Orange Bowl in January that limited him in the offseason. After going through rehabilitation, Posluszny was moved from outside to inside at the start of the season as coach Joe Paterno switched to a four-linebacker scheme. It took a while for Posluszny to get comfortable with the defense and his rehabbed knee.
Not that Purdue coach Joe Tiller noticed a difference.
"He looks like he came from the womb playing linebacker," said Tiller, whose Boilermakers (5-3, 2-2 Big Ten) host the Nittany Lions (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday. "The great ones are that way."
Posluszny is a semifinalist again to be the nation's top defender and linebacker. And he might soon be able add this to his resume -- he's 17 tackles shy of tying Greg Buttle's career record of 343 at Linebacker U.
"It's always good to hear. Anytime something comes up, it's not just for any particular player, it's for the defense in general," Posluszny said about the accolades. "But the most important thing right now is Purdue. The most important thing is winning."
Reserved off the field, "Pos" is a fiery competitor on gameday, so renowned for his leadership that teammates elected him the first two-time captain at Penn State since 1968-69.
He's a bookworm, too, having been the seventh Nittany Lion to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season. Posluszny has talked in the past of joining the military, though undoubtedly an NFL career awaits.
"Paul is one of the best linebackers that we've ever had," said Paterno, in his 41st year as head coach.
Still, there were questions about his knee to start the season. Posluszny was carted off the field during the Orange Bowl with two partially torn ligaments in his right knee.
He was held back from full contact at spring practice, but pronounced himself 100 percent to start the preseason. Team doctors have insisted that Posluszny wear a knee brace as a precaution, an order that the senior begrudgingly accepts.
Then coaches threw him another curve and asked him to play inside linebacker. With a lack of experienced linemen, the switch allowed Paterno to move Tim Shaw from middle linebacker to a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position and get young, talented Sean Lee into the starting lineup outside.
Posluszny didn't complain, though there were some early question marks.
He looked out of position at times and missed tackles on plays that appeared to be automatic hits last year. Some wondered if Posluszny was a step slower because of the knee.
"It seemed like at the beginning of the year with the first game, I didn't have double-digit tackles, and for some, they said, 'This kid is terrible now.' That was interesting, to say the least," Posluszny said.
Coaches dismissed questions about his knee, though Posluszny did say he felt more limited earlier in the season wearing a heavier brace. These days, he sports a smaller, less obtrusive contraption on the knee.
The biggest challenge was mental.
"I feel so much more comfortable now," he said. "I'm starting to finally feel at home at the position."
Not good news for opponents.
"Mentally, he's running the whole show," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
The highlight-reel plays -- such as his takedown of Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith from behind during a night game last year at Beaver Stadium -- aren't as frequent. Freewheeling outside linebackers often get more chances to make those kinds of plays.
He still made the highlights last week, bringing Illinois' Isiah Williams down from behind and reaching for the quarterback's right arm just enough to cause a fumble that led to Tony Davis' 6-yard touchdown return. The score gave the Nittany Lions' struggling offense some breathing room in a 26-12 win.
Posluszny went to Shaw for advice earlier in the year about playing inside, counsel that isn't needed as much anymore.
"He's got it pretty much down pat," Shaw said. "I knew it wouldn't take him that long."
Notes: Besides Posluszny, fellow linebacker Dan Connor was also named Wednesday as a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, for the nation's top defensive player. ... Left tackle Levi Brown revealed Wednesday that he had minor surgery on his left knee three weeks ago before the Minnesota game after tearing his meniscus, the shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee. Brown sat out games against Northwestern and Minnesota before returning Oct. 14 against Michigan. The offensive line has struggled since the loss to Michigan, and coach Joe Paterno said it may be due in part to shuffling his front five.
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Semper Fi Buckeyes
The Bills can't catch a break, except when it comes to bones.
I'll be here all week, folks!
I'll be here all week, folks!
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