Today in a quiet classroom in Howard High School in Wilmington Delaware, an admittedly nervous 17 year old man stood in front of a podium addressing a room full of friends, familiy, and reporters. His shirt was pure white and neatly pressed. His striped tie made him look like he belonged on Wall Street as he rocked back and forth nervously grasping the podium with both hands like it was the bar on a rollercoaster. His family sat beside him to his left at a large table covered with a cloth bearing the high school's trademark blue. In the center of the table rested a football and two caps, one Buckeye scarlet and the other Nittany Lion blue.
It was a long road for Devon Still to get to this point. He originally listed Penn State as his favorite back in April after attending a junior day at the University Park campus. But shortly after other schools started calling. Schools like Viginia Tech, Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, and Michigan. It seemed every time a coach came to visit or he went to visit a campus, he came home with a new favorite. But one by one they fell by the wayside as Larry Johnson senior worked his magic. As other schools promised instant playing time and stardom, LJ Sr. just wanted to know how his family was doing and if he was getting good grades. When other schools pushed him to sign, LJ advised him to do what's best for Devon. In the end it came down to two, Ohio State and Penn State.
As he stood at the podium, the well spoken young man said all the right things. He praised both schools and said, "I knew I couldn't go wrong with either Penn State or Ohio State. So it was just a matter of how I felt with the people there." And with that he walked over the table and stood over the two caps giving the impression he still hadn't completely made up his mind. Then he picked up the Penn State hat and put it on his head to the sound of thunderous applause. From the back of the room someone yelled, "We Are!" and a smile cracked the young man's face. Whenever it comes down to the people, Penn State is going to win.
Devon Still is a terrific addition to the Penn State family. Several publications consider him the best player in the state of Delaware and one of the top 10 defensive linemen in the country. It makes it even more sweet knowing the Buckeyes gave their best shot at him and they lost. Welcome to Penn State, Devon. You're with family now.