Potential Penn State Problem #3: The Cracked Eggshell
by Run Up The Score on Aug 20, 2009 12:30 PM EDT
in Football
37 comments
One of the most prominent themes throughout this offseason is the need for Daryll Clark to not sustain another concussion. Fans forget that Clark has sustained three concussions in his short Penn State career, not just the one that took him out of the game in Columbus and left him bewildered and outraged on the sideline. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg asked Clark about the concussion situation a few weeks ago:
How scary is that with the three concussions? You're still a young man. You know the statistics with concussions.
DC: It's kind of scary. Concussion, it's not fun, and it's tough to recover from. And also, it depends on how severe it is. Mine was a pretty bad one [last season] at Ohio State. You just be careful out there. You don't play timid like, 'Oh, don't do this.' You don't want to be too nervous where it takes away your game. Play your game, but just be smart out there.
Is that hard for you to change that, to slide more or go out of bounds more?
DC: I don't know how tough it's going to be until I get that live contact and see how it's going to be for us. I have a feeling it's going to take some adjustments.
Of course, last year Penn State had Pat Devlin ready in the bullpen if something happened to Clark. Devlin was essentially choice #1A for Joe Paterno last year, and you would be hard-pressed to find a closer or more controversial quarterback competition in Penn State's recent history. At the very least, you have to go back to Casey v. Thompson. You would also have a difficult time finding a better #2 quarterback anywhere in college football last year. Now, Devlin is at Delaware, where he'll have a chance at two full years as a starter. The safety net is long gone.
In case of emergency, the backup job now belongs to true freshman Kevin Newsome. He's reportedly been seeing a lot of practice reps this summer, but remains a raw quarterback prospect that isn't quite ready to lead a team down the field with his arm. After that, it's Walk-On City. Given the relative inexperience at wide receiver, losing Clark could bring the offense to a screeching halt against any decent opponent.
Concussions are serious business, so those who are advising Clark to do everything he can in order to limit his exposure to a fourth concussion have his best interests in mind. However, it is fair to wonder if all of the caution and discussion of the subject will have an impact on Clark's play. Will it affect whether he scrambles for first down yardage on 3rd and 4? Will it cause him to incorrectly perceive blind-side pressure when he's in the pocket? Nobody knows, but if something bad should happen to Daryll Clark, the entire Penn State offense could be in for a world of pain.
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i don’t really get the picture. it’s like the shells are scared of the fork, but… i mean they’re laying next to fried eggs. so like, if you’re those scared eggs, why not be more afraid of the skillet. the fork seems to be of minimal concern unless the person is interested in ruining their breakfast. maybe the whole situation is what’s frightening for them. I don’t know. I’m not an egg.
file this under “lol wut”
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
by millzners on Aug 20, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
lol wut!
"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69
by jtothep on Aug 20, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
by millzners on Aug 20, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey RUTS, I like the picture
It reminds me of the Calvin & Hobbes snowmen comics:
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza
by NJ lion on Aug 20, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
+100000000000000 cocktails to you sir
"I'm colonel cool! And I'm the captain on this rocket to the stars!"
by psuphiman80 on Aug 20, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've always wanted to actually do this in my front yard.
However, that would require snow, and Harrisburg apparently doesn’t get any.
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Aug 21, 2009 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
w're now part of the ice belt
the days getting serious snow accumulations every year are over. I feel bad for today’s kids b/c back in my day we’d have several snow days a year (5-6) where you would go out and build igloos, snowmen, and sled runs all day. Blizzard of 93. Blizzard of 96. Fond memories.
Now kids in Harrisburg get an inch of snow and an inch of ice over top of it, and that’s the best they’ll get all year. WTF are you supposed to do with that? No wonder all they do is play video games.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
by millzners on Aug 21, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think it is the general situation
besides, only the one on the bottom of the picture looks scared of the fork. The one on the right seems horrified that he’s practically laying in the dead entrails of one of his friends, meanwhile the one on the top left seems to be trying to shut out reality, and is generally in a state of abject terror. It is also hard to tell if he has STB, or if he just has the blood of his friends on him.
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 20, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and here I thought I was the only one....
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member
by TheMightyErik on Aug 21, 2009 2:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
there is no site, anywhere that has the quanity/quality of tangents that we have here. They should name an award after it
"If you let the men in you've got to let the women in. I don't want a bunch of women walking around in my locker room when guys take showers". Joe Paterno
by letsgopsu on Aug 21, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My prediction is Clark gets concusion mid season and shut down for season.
Concusions are like heat stroke…once you have one…chances go up.
by SweepTheLeg on Aug 20, 2009 1:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Heat stroke?
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Aug 20, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Heat stroke -
for some reason once you get heat stroke your chances of happening again go up, like concusions.
That is what we were told in training by a Dr. at FLETC
by SweepTheLeg on Aug 20, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
my prediction is that Johnny comes and pays you a visit
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 20, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Johnny “Machine Gun” Zug?
DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on Aug 20, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I do not like you...
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member
by TheMightyErik on Aug 21, 2009 2:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
my thoughts are...
he cant be worried about concussions. on 3rd and 4 he has to lower his SHOULDER and go for it. his legs and size are two of his best attributes.
if he stays back in the pocket and is worried about running b/c he’ll get a concussion then we are in trouble. when you start being hesitant, is when you start making mistakes, forcing passes, running out of bounds or having to punt.
now, punting may not be the worst thing in the world sometimes, but when you have a 240lb QB, you are wasting his god-given talent.
if we want to win a NC, then we need for Clark to run sometimes. And if it means making contact with the defense then so be it.
"We are not normal. We are legends. We are Penn State." - Deon Butler
by Stately NOVA Lion on Aug 20, 2009 2:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
not just his running...
dude throws nice blocks… see the Royster v. Michigan video. That cat is involved!
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member
by TheMightyErik on Aug 21, 2009 2:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't want Clark punting
would much rather Boone did it.
by PSU Mudder on Aug 20, 2009 2:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
But think how sweet the fakes would be.
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State" The offseason is long. So is this magazine.
by Kevin HD on Aug 20, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All Eagles fans out there remember back to Randall Cunningham's
legendary punts. Clark could capture the same magic…. although I would be really pissed if we made a habit of 3rd down punting.
by cpm126 on Aug 20, 2009 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
O NOES WERE GOING 0-12
TIHS IS ALL JOES FAULT FOR NOT RECRUITING PRYOR
DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on Aug 20, 2009 3:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE.
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Aug 20, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
we're too country to die
instead we’ll buy the farm…kick the bucket, or some other more appropriate euphemism
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 20, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Be put out to pasture?
"I thought the kid we were using had the potential to be a good quarterback, and I blew that one." - Joseph V. Paterno
by leeharvey418 on Aug 21, 2009 7:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Clark has sustained three concussions in his post-grade school career
Besides last year in Columbus, and 2007 vs. Michigan, Clark had one in high school.
This is my #1 fear, related to my #1 concern (o-line). That said, I just wanted to clarify that Clark has sustained two concussions while at Penn State. (I wonder if this is part of the reason that Clark didn’t scramble so much last year; this was already a concern going into his college career, let alone last year.)
by Aaron PSU on Aug 20, 2009 4:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ahh, yes. Thank you for the correction.
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Aug 20, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
not only that
but his concussions were on 2 pretty brutal hits, and even after the one in Columbus he handled it fairly well for a bit. It is impossible to say he’ll never get hit like that again, but scrambling might actually help, as he can at least control the way he’ll get hit, and anticipate it. It will the blind-side hits, and anticipation thereof, that I’m worried about.
by The JuggerNitt on Aug 20, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huge concern
Although, DC was sitting on three concussions during the MSU and USC games last year and played great. So, I’m not so worried about it affecting his approach as much as a freak play that results in another one.
by Pallet on Aug 20, 2009 5:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Remember though
Laura isn’t here anymore to pile jump onto Clark’s head and give him a concussion, so I think we’ll be OK.
by dawsonPSU10 on Aug 20, 2009 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope he does change some things
If you look at the tOSU concussion he was wrapped up but fighting for extra yards which left him on his feet waiting for a hit. This seems to be his running style and is probably why he has amassed a conflagration of concussions.
He needs to learn when to slide once he has made as much as he is going to or has got the first down. I don’t remember ever seeing him slide once. So hopefully he is working on it for this season.
Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good.
by psu on Aug 21, 2009 8:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
+1 for “conflagration of concussions”
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza
by NJ lion on Aug 21, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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