Only Jason Cabinda Until Penn State Football

Jason Cabinda was rushed into action as the Penn State linebacker unit was thin during his freshman season of 2014. He made just one start, and while his statistics were not impressive, it was clear from the start that he was going to be a major contributor in the years to come. He had 17 tackles in nine games during his first season.

During his sophomore season he led the Lions with 7.7 tackles per game, starting all 13 games. He played both will and mike linebacker along the way to garnering honorable mention nods for All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media.

During his junior campaign he became a true leader on and off the field. His play and demeanor, along with being situated at the center of the defense, made the role come naturally. He was selected to the third team All-Big Ten by the coaches and was honorable mention by the media. Cabinda missed a few games with injury and it put a great deal of strain on the linebackers, which already lacked depth.

His performance versus Iowa reminded us that he’s not just a pretty face with an awesome neck roll; this guy can play. This stop in the early-going let the Hawkeyes know that Penn State had no intentions of losing the momentum it gained with a huge win two weeks earlier versus Ohio State.

We look for a year full of plays such as this from Cabinda, and wish him a healthy, injury-free season.