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Nitt Picks is Not Wearing Pads Yet

The football team hosted the media for the unofficial kickoff to spring practice last friday, so there was a ton of good reading material over the weekend. Let's sort through it all. There's lots of good stuff in these links besides the bit I quote, so check them out.

Blog, Sweat and Tears says that according to Daryll Clark, none of the receivers have stepped up yet.

- Daryll Clark said that none of the receivers have stepped forward so far in workouts. Guaranteed, he meant that as a compliment, that the likes of Graham Zug, Brett Brackett, Derek Moye and Chaz Powell all are running neck and neck. Later on in his talk, he reserved his highest praise for Brackett. But the guy who has worked with the receivers most extensively so far still seems to be waiting for a breakout performance.

Star-divide

Lions Eyes says Paterno's presser was a bunch of "gobblety goop", but Sean Lee says Paterno has made this a brutal winter session.

"This was probably the longest winter workout I've been a part of since I've been here," the fifth-year senior said. "[Paterno] wants us to be the same kind of team."

Lions Eyes then goes on to offer his observations on the offensive depth chart and his press conference notes.

Read Between the Lions suggests Colin Wagner is the leader to take over for Kevin Kelly and the kicking duties.

Colin Wagner appears to be the starter right now at kicker, Paterno didn’t mention anyone like Anthony Fera or David Soldner by name, but said everyone right now has to beat out Wagner.

The Post Gazette reports the team was none too happy with the way USC was showboating during the second quarter of the Rose Bowl.

"We got yelled at pretty good at halftime. The coaches didn't really like how [USC] was acting on the sideline, with the dancing and showboating and everything. It was really kind of a slap in our face."

The Tribune Review has your classic Paterno soundbite.

Paterno, though, squirmed nearly every time a question was posed about him or his team.

"I haven't got a lot of time," he said, his eyes darting around the room. "I don't even know why we're having a press conference. Why do you guys want to come up here and have me give you gobblety-goop? I gotta go."

Bob Flounders rightfully points out the secondary is the biggest concern on this team, and Paterno even acknowledged as much.

Paterno talked about all of the above but late in his news conference, he made it clear what the team's priority is this spring.

"We gotta get a secondary,'' Paterno said. "We gotta get a secondary that can stand on its own two feet.''

Corner A.J. Wallace and safety Drew Astorino, last year's nickel back, will likely be two of the starters, but PSU still needs another corner and a safety.

Flounders and Jeff McLane offer their observations, but were too lazy to write them down so they had an intern hold a camera and post it on Penn Live.

Penn State spring practice recap

Then there is this interview with Sean Lee.

 

Penn State LB Sean Lee

Etcetera

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Captains

When do they usually get announced?

I assume Clark and Lee will be the captains, but will there be a third or even fourth? Maybe Boone as ST captain? I dunno I was just wondering.

"They ain't got the tradition to hold our nuts." - Deon Butler

by Roland86 on Mar 29, 2009 11:53 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't know when they come out

But I wonder if Wiz and Odrick would get nods as captains. Obviously Clark and Lee would be shoe-ins.

Kath?

by psuphiman80 on Mar 30, 2009 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Juniors

aren’t typically captains…there are exceptions to the rule (Poz)…we shall see

PSU Softball

by QBsneak12 on Mar 30, 2009 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's probably in the doghouse

It would explain why Joe says we need to get a secondary- Zug keeps vaporizing them whenever he’s their assignment during practice.

There is a tractor in the parking lot, West Virginia license EIEIO. Your lights are on.

by leeharvey418 on Mar 30, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Team Captains

It’s extremely rare to see junior captains even though we’ve had two in recent years. Last year was supposed to be Lee’s last year and he was destined to be a captain. I think the coaches just didn’t want to take that away from him just because he got hurt.

This year I suspect your captains will be Lee and Clark and that will probably be it. Maybe Landolt and/or Odrick too, but Odrick may have blown his chance when he threw that punch the other day. This team does not have a ton of senior leadership like last year which should be a concern if recent years are any indication.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 9:41 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Not lots of leaders

But if we have two great leaders, one on each side of the ball, could that be enough? Basically I’m wondering if Clark and Lee can handle this alone, unless of course some other people step up. Maybe even an underclassman like Clark last year. He wasn’t a captain but he sure was a leader.

by STU Boy on Mar 30, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

It's enough to be really good

But not great. Traditionally, if you look at great PSU teams of the past they were loaded with senior leadership. Last year we had Shipley, Cadogen, Ohrnberger, Williams, Butler, Norwood, Scirrotto, Davis, Sargeant, and Lee. Back in 1994 we had a ton of seniors. 1986 was loaded with seniors. This team just isn’t.

We have some captains in waiting like Royster, Green, Wiz, Mauti, Astorino, and Lynn. They can all be vocal and push their teammates, but underclassmen are usually timid to say too much because they don’t want to step on the toes of the seniors.

I think we’ll be very good this year, but leadership is a major concern for me and I think it will cost us a win or two. Last year we heard reports coming out of winter drills and spring practice that the team was extremely focused in everything they did. There were stories of guys like Lee and Shipley literally slamming guys into lockers to get their heads on straight. Derrick Williams was waking people up at 5 AM to go through their 7-on-7 drills. This year I’m just not hearing that which makes me worry complacency has set in and things are being run more like a country club. In fact, I’ve heard that Wallace, Wedderburn, and Koroma have been running extra laps for failing conditioning drills at the beginning of spring practice. These are not good signs if you’re trying to guage the focus of the team.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Way too early for that, IMO.

Sean Lee is still there. He’s equal to three captains in my book.

--
Black Shoe Diaries

"Never. We would never shoot nuclear weapons at Decepticons." -- Gen. Jack Jacobs

by Run Up The Score on Mar 30, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

True

It’s early. Maybe some guys will step up this month. A lot of seniors come around when they realize this is their last chance to do something special.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Based on the Sean Lee comments

about Paterno’s winter workouts, it doesn’t sound like Country Club to me.

"You are a tenacious little monkey!"

by rahpsu92 on Mar 30, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

What's the captain going to say?

Yeah, it hasn’t been too bad this year. We’re just taking it easy.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

He doesn't have to mention it at all...

I didn’t see a pointed question to Sean Lee about winter practice.

I saw Sean Lee offering a comment about winter practice being ass-kickingly brutal this year becasue of Paterno being pissed about our Rose Bowl Performance.

"You are a tenacious little monkey!"

by rahpsu92 on Mar 30, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe you're right

I’m just not getting the good feeling from the insider reports like I was last year.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

That's a great pic of Lee

I really like this one, too.

Quintessential PSU Linebacker look right there.

by jtothep on Mar 30, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Clark, Lee, Landolt, Bowman.

--
Black Shoe Diaries

"Never. We would never shoot nuclear weapons at Decepticons." -- Gen. Jack Jacobs

by Run Up The Score on Mar 30, 2009 10:20 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Bowman?

A junior with some questionable off the field judgement in the past? I doubt it unless Paterno is convinced he’s a totally new person.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Forgot he was a junior.

It’s like Monopoly, a mistake was made in my favor!

--
Black Shoe Diaries

"Never. We would never shoot nuclear weapons at Decepticons." -- Gen. Jack Jacobs

by Run Up The Score on Mar 30, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I eat this stuff up
Paterno, who said he still plans to return to the sidelines by the Sept. 5 opener against Akron, flaunted as much when he displayed how he used to shoot free throws. He was expressing his excitement about the men’s basketball team advancing to the NIT semifinals in New York at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

"I was kidding the kids, ‘When I played in the Garden, here’s the way we shot foul shots,’ " said Paterno, who stood up and exhibited a flawless two-fisted underhand shot.

Ain’t no ‘young’ coach out there that can bring this kind of this stuff to the table.

by jtothep on Mar 30, 2009 12:37 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

This "gobblety-goop" is irreplaceable

It’s part of who JoePa is and another one of the million reasons we’re going to miss him when he’s gone.

"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza

by NJ lion on Mar 30, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

McLane's Depth Chart

Not sure I agree with this:

RIGHT GUARD
Lou Eliades / Matt Stankiewitch
Eliades may get the nod at the end of spring because he’s older, but “Stank” is even money to trump him by the preseason.

I was really diggin Eliades two years ago in Spring when he got injured / got beat out by Ohrnberger. Tales of nastiness impress me most when it’s about Olinemen (or is it that nastiness is the one thing I most want to hear about Olinemen?). Either way, I’m pulling for Eliades this spring, summer & fall. You’re my boy, Lou!

by jtothep on Mar 30, 2009 12:44 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

nasty

yeah I want a guy who’s ridiculously nasty, a guy who wears down the defense like Shipley did.

"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.

by millzners on Mar 30, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nasty streaks

I’ve hear Jonnie Troutman has a real mean streak and attacks the sled like it raped his mother.

by BSD on Mar 30, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Ummm

Sled be damned, his mom sounds hot?

by jtothep on Mar 31, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sweet reads

Thanks for picking Nitts!

by jtothep on Mar 30, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

"Jack Crawford looks massive"

I’m so ready for him to take the field for the B&W game.

"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.

by millzners on Mar 30, 2009 3:10 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I wanna hear him

in his first allowable interview. Can’t wait to hear our latest massive DE beast break it down all eloquent with a ridiculous pommy accent. That’s gonna be hilarious. And awesome.

by jtothep on Mar 31, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Strange Question

Does Jack have alopecia areata because he looks like Charlie Villanueva

by whiteoutonly on Mar 31, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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