AJHawkfan
Wanna make $14 the hard way?
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=uwire-linemancommitstolionspater&prov=uwire&type=lgns
Lineman commits to Lions, Paterno
By Tim Ford, Daily Collegian
July 13, 2005
(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- It was clear from the start that Penn State was where Tom McEowen wanted to be.
On Monday, McEowen became the third verbal commitment for the 2010 Penn State football incoming class. The Neshaminy High School product had more than 20 scholarship offers, but he never wavered far from the Nittany Lions.
"It's a great place," McEowen said. "My [high school] coach always said, 'Go somewhere where if you didn't play football you would still feel comfortable.'"
One of the most comforting facts about playing for Penn State for McEowen is a sense of position consistency, not exactly something coach Joe Paterno's teams have necessarily been known for in recent years.
McEowen, the No. 9 ranked player on the preseason Pennsylvania Top 50 according to rivals.com, is going into his high school senior season a defensive lineman. And it's on the defensive line he wants to stay.
"[Penn State] was kind of weak on the offensive line for a while and I played a little bit on the offensive line in high school," McEowen said. "It's definitely a lot easier to pick up the techniques on the offensive line and things like that too, but I still prefer the defensive line. It asks more from the body."
McEowen likes that challenge. When he hits Penn State next year he said he will be learning the defensive line three-technique, in the mold of current three-technique defensive tackle Jay Alford.
Three-technique tackles use more of their speed to burst through gaps in the line than relying on strength. A 6-foot-3, 270 pounder with relatively-quick-for-a-lineman 40-yard dash time of 5.1 seconds, according to Rivals.com, McEowen is well suited for what Lions coaches have planned for him.
Penn State's only three verbals by mid-July is not particularly out of the ordinary for Paterno-style recruiting, but it does raise eyebrows when examined in the context of intrastate recruiting rival Pittsburgh. First-year coach Dave Wannstedt has already locked up 12 solid verbals, including Rivals.com four-star athlete Dorin Dickerson of West Allegheny High School.
"I don't really want to rag on Pitt, but they kind of were all about western Pennsylvania," McEowen said. "I don't know if they got the best players from PA that they could have. They got 12 guys, but I don't know if those are going to be as good as those seven or eight guys that Penn State might get."
McEowen stressed that he "can't say anything bad about any of the schools that recruited me." He chose Penn State over Boston College, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia before he shared his thoughts on why Pitt has raked up more early recruits than his new school.
Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike McQueary was the Penn State representative who dealt with McEowen the most, the Feasterville native said, in addition to a few conversations with high school teammate, kicker Kevin Kelly, a Class of 2009 Penn State recruit.
Still, there was only one person who had to ask McEowen to come to State College to play football.
"Joe Paterno -- that's it," McEowen said. "He made Penn State what it is."
The adjective "awesome" was the only word McEowen could use to describe just why Paterno still has college football clout.
Lineman commits to Lions, Paterno
By Tim Ford, Daily Collegian
July 13, 2005
(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- It was clear from the start that Penn State was where Tom McEowen wanted to be.
On Monday, McEowen became the third verbal commitment for the 2010 Penn State football incoming class. The Neshaminy High School product had more than 20 scholarship offers, but he never wavered far from the Nittany Lions.
"It's a great place," McEowen said. "My [high school] coach always said, 'Go somewhere where if you didn't play football you would still feel comfortable.'"
One of the most comforting facts about playing for Penn State for McEowen is a sense of position consistency, not exactly something coach Joe Paterno's teams have necessarily been known for in recent years.
McEowen, the No. 9 ranked player on the preseason Pennsylvania Top 50 according to rivals.com, is going into his high school senior season a defensive lineman. And it's on the defensive line he wants to stay.
"[Penn State] was kind of weak on the offensive line for a while and I played a little bit on the offensive line in high school," McEowen said. "It's definitely a lot easier to pick up the techniques on the offensive line and things like that too, but I still prefer the defensive line. It asks more from the body."
McEowen likes that challenge. When he hits Penn State next year he said he will be learning the defensive line three-technique, in the mold of current three-technique defensive tackle Jay Alford.
Three-technique tackles use more of their speed to burst through gaps in the line than relying on strength. A 6-foot-3, 270 pounder with relatively-quick-for-a-lineman 40-yard dash time of 5.1 seconds, according to Rivals.com, McEowen is well suited for what Lions coaches have planned for him.
Penn State's only three verbals by mid-July is not particularly out of the ordinary for Paterno-style recruiting, but it does raise eyebrows when examined in the context of intrastate recruiting rival Pittsburgh. First-year coach Dave Wannstedt has already locked up 12 solid verbals, including Rivals.com four-star athlete Dorin Dickerson of West Allegheny High School.
"I don't really want to rag on Pitt, but they kind of were all about western Pennsylvania," McEowen said. "I don't know if they got the best players from PA that they could have. They got 12 guys, but I don't know if those are going to be as good as those seven or eight guys that Penn State might get."
McEowen stressed that he "can't say anything bad about any of the schools that recruited me." He chose Penn State over Boston College, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia before he shared his thoughts on why Pitt has raked up more early recruits than his new school.
Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike McQueary was the Penn State representative who dealt with McEowen the most, the Feasterville native said, in addition to a few conversations with high school teammate, kicker Kevin Kelly, a Class of 2009 Penn State recruit.
Still, there was only one person who had to ask McEowen to come to State College to play football.
"Joe Paterno -- that's it," McEowen said. "He made Penn State what it is."
The adjective "awesome" was the only word McEowen could use to describe just why Paterno still has college football clout.
