UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions have reached the halfway point of spring practices before taking to the field for the annual Blue-White Game on April 20 in Beaver Stadium.

It has been a spring marked by very good progress on both sides of the ball for Penn State.  With seven of the allotted 14 practices down before the Blue-White Game, GoPSUsports.com caught up with wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Mike Hull for an update on the team's progress up to this point.

Penn State will return to the practice field on Friday afternoon for spring practice No. 8.  The Lions will then practice four times next week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With six practices in the books for the spring season, the Nittany Lion football team is nearing the mid-point of spring practice period.

The Lions will practice two more times this week, on Wednesday and Friday.  Before returning to the practice field this week, new safeties coach Anthony Midget took some time to address the media on a conference call.  Take a look through a Q&A with Coach Midget to see how his first spring in Happy Valley is going and see an update on safeties.
 

Q: Was there any hesitation accepting the job to coach at Penn State?
Midget: "Not at all.  It was an opportunity to come and be a part of Penn State.  Yes, I understand what I was getting in to, but there was never a doubt in my mind with Coach O'Brien and what the guys did last year that I wanted to be a part of this staff and to be a part of getting this thing turned around and taking this thing to the next level."

Q: You did a little bit of everything when you were at Georgia State; how different has it been for you to be able to just focus on one group?
Midget: "It has been great.  When I first got to Georgia State, I was the special teams coordinator and coaching all four in the secondary.  And then when I got promoted to defensive coordinator, I still had all four (in the secondary).  And now here being able to focus on one position has been great.  I think the game has changed so much, and I think it is a benefit to have two secondary coaches and split it up so that guys are able to work with just the safeties and corners.  It has been truly a blessing being at practice.  Coach Butler and I work well together.  We meet together, and we work together, but to be at practice and just work with the safeties has been very good."

Q: What has been the learning curve for you during spring practice?
Midget: "Well, it was actually good for me to be here a couple weeks before we started practice.  I had an opportunity to sit through all of the cut-ups and basically learn the defense while we were sitting in there watching cut-ups.  It was beneficial.  And then to have Coach Butler working with me in the secondary to help the transition, it made it that much smoother.  Actually, it has been an easy transition picking up on things and fitting in with the defensive staff and picking up on terminology."

Q: How have the veteran safeties - Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong - helped your transition here?
Midget: "That has been a key.  To have two seniors that have played a lot of football makes it a lot easier to come in as opposed to if I was dealing with a lot of freshmen or guys that didn't have a lot of playing experience.  To have two seniors back there - Malcolm Willis has been great, especially as a tremendous leader, and also Obeng; he has been a great leader.  Those guys are basically coaches on the field who understand the defense and understand what we want, and they can help us with the younger guys and their understanding of the system."

Q: Can you describe the way you perceive yourself as a coach?
Midget: "I am energetic.  I coach with a lot of passion.  If you come watch me coach, that is probably what you will see.  Coach Butler is the same way.  It is just a great fit for both of us back there.  I think the guys feed off of it.  We coach them hard.  You have to be demanding to get what you want, but at the end of the day we are able to take that and turn the switch off and be a mentor or whatever we need to be to the players. On the field, we are very energetic and very demanding and high energy coaches that just love the game, and it shows the way we coach."

Q: What do you see as Adrian Amos' role with the defense this year? And can you talk about some of the younger safeties and some of their strengths and weaknesses?
Midget: "Adrian Amos is a guy who played many roles for us last year.  He will probably do the same thing this year.  He is a guy that we can move around to play safety, to play corner, to play nickel and can do many different things for us.  It's guys like that who help us out because of his versatility.  Some young guys, we have moved Malik Golden to safety.  He is a guy who is very talented that has done some good things that I am very excited about.  Take a guy like (Ryan) Keiser that had a great offseason and it is translating to the practice field.  So, I am excited about Keiser and Golden moving forward at the safety spot, and I am excited about the playmaking abilities they can bring to the position."

Q: What is one characteristic Coach O'Brien has that sticks out to you?
Midget: "How passionate he is for the game.  He is a great offensive mind, but one thing that stands out is how great of relationship he has with the players and he can really relate to the players.  But his overall passion for the game and his leadership is unbelievable.  It has been great.  I am blessed to be able to sit in the staff meetings and learn from him and continue to grow.  But he has been just great.  But I would say the one thing is that the way he interacts with the guys and his leadership ability."


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Having started in 17 career games at safety, Malcolm Willis enters 2013 as the elder statesmen of the Nittany Lion secondary.

Willis will lead a group of defensive backs determined to make more big plays when opportunities present themselves in the fall.  Through five spring practices under the direction of new defensive coordinator John Butler, Willis thinks the Lions have started 2013 off on the right foot.

"Things have gone well in the secondary," Willis said.  "We are starting to make a lot more plays on the ball.  That was one of our big down points last year.  We had a number of opportunities in games, but we didn't make the plays.  So, Coach Butler and Coach Midget have really emphasized for us to make plays on the ball."

Willis has taken it upon himself to make sure that everybody on the defense understands the concepts to ensure that the group is successful.  That process starts with communication between the veterans and the newcomers to the Penn State defense.

"We are coming along well as a defense," Willis said.  "Like I said before, we need to make sure those veteran guys are helping the younger guys learn off of them.  We need to make sure those guys are in the film room watching enough film.  We also have to make sure those younger guys are asking questions when they come off the field.  As long as we communicate with each other, we will be OK."

The Nittany Lion defense is five practices into the tenure of John Butler as the defensive coordinator.  While there is a new face in charge, Willis and the safeties are very familiar with Butler having spent a full season under his leadership in the secondary.  The fiery defensive coordinator demands a lot from his players, but he is the first guy to show praise when they execute.

"He hasn't changed at all," Willis said.  "It is fun the way he coaches.  I love how competitive it is.  He gets after you when you mess up, but he lets you know when you do something well.  He's always in your ear about every little thing to make sure you are in the right place because the smallest little thing could be the difference between a pass breakup and a completion."

In addition to a new coordinator, Willis and his fellow safeties are on the field for the first time under new safeties coach Anthony Midget.  Midget is an intense guy on the practice field, but he is a teacher.

"He is like Coach Butler," Willis said.  "He might be a little less enthusiastic, but he is a great coach.  He has been to the highest level as a player.  He has played in the NFL and he has been an All-American in college.  So any coaching that he has, we need to make sure we take in."

A big key for the secondary in 2013 will be the emergence of a group of young, talented corps of players who will provide depth to the unit.  Willis, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, Adrian Amos all bring a great deal of starting experience back for 2013, but Willis is excited about the emergence of younger talent this spring.

"It's been really good to see how the younger guys have progressed," Willis said.  "Some of the younger guys who have really stepped up this spring are Jordan Lucas, Ryan Keiser; Trevor Williams has been a big surprise since they moved him over to defense.  He has been practicing really well.  That is just naming a few."

The big message Willis is trying to convey to the younger players in the secondary is the same one Coach Butler is preaching to the entire defense: Make plays when you are in position to do so.  The Nittany Lion secondary broke up 22 passes in 2012, but made just three interceptions.  Willis wants to see the Lions take advantage of their opportunities better in 2013.

"The main thing is film study," said Willis.  "If you understand the defense and you understand where you need to be and you understand the way that the offense is trying to attack you, you will be able to anticipate things before the snap of the ball.  Once you are in that spot, you need to make the play."

Physically, Willis said he feels great after a strong offseason in the weight room.  The Lion senior dropped a few pounds of body fat and added some muscle during the offseason.

"I feel good.  The whole team has taken tremendous strides in terms of conditioning," said Willis.  "We are all in much better shape than we were this time last year."

With 10 practices to go during the spring season, Willis wants to see the defense continue to grow as a cohesive unit, and that starts with good communication.

"For us a defense, I want to make sure that we are communicating really well to make sure that we have that team camaraderie, so that when the spring game is here we can polish that up and then over the summer work at it more, so that by the time week one comes we will be ready to go" Willis said.


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's offensive line wants to establish itself as a physical, cohesive unit by the end of spring drills on April 20.

Through five of the 15 allotted spring practices, senior center Ty Howle said the Nittany Lions are well on their way to becoming the type of group necessary to lead the offense in 2013.

"I think we have improved tremendously since the start of spring ball, particularly in the timing of everything," Howle said.  "Everybody knows a whole lot more just in five practices.  All of the timing has been the biggest factor.  With a new group, timing is always important, and we are getting things down."

The big key for the 2013 Nittany Lion offensive line is experience.  Howle, along with guards John Urschel and Miles Dieffenbach and tackles Donovan Smith and Adam Gress have all played a lot of football and started in games.  Additionally, tight end Garry Gilliam brings game experience to the offensive line after shifting from tight end to tackle.

"It helps us that a lot of guys have played," Howle said.  "It helps with the group being able to function as a unit together.  On the offensive line, that's what it is all about, being able to function as one cohesive unit to get all of the steps together at the same time.  I think that experience factor has a lot to do with it."

Familiarity is a significant factor to the offseason growth for Howle, a Wake Forest, N.C. native, and the rest of the offensive line.  The Lions are much more comfortable in their roles on the field and how to execute in Coach O'Brien's offense.

"We are all way more knowledgeable about the offense," said Howle.  "We know the formations by what is being called.  We know what we are likely to see as far as what defenses are going to show.  We are able to pick up on blitz tips and things like that.  Also, working in the weight room, we are much stronger than we have ever been.  We have more stamina, and that plays a huge part, as well."

Howle, who has been the primary backup behind First Team All-Big Ten center Matt Stankiewitch for the past two seasons, started in the 2012 season finale against Wisconsin at left guard and saw action in a total of nine games last season (Missed the first three weeks while recovering from a torn pectoral muscle injury).  With the opening at center following Stankiewitch's graduation, Howle has moved into the starting role.

As a center, Howle is the general of the offensive line.  He is responsible for reading the defenses as the team breaks the huddle and prepares for each snap.

"It's important for me to know what everyone along the offensive line is doing," Howle said.  "When we come up to the line, you have to spot the defenses and call them out.  The coaches do a great job preparing you because these are things you work from the end of the regular season until now so that we are able to execute it.  Because of how much work you put in off the field, it hasn't been that tough of a transition."

Howle's off-the-field improvement is not just focused on progress in the film room.  Across the board, the Nittany Lions made significant strides in the weight room during the offseason.  Having spent a full year under the direction of strength coach Craig Fitzgerald and his staff's conditioning program, Howle said the group feels big gains on the field this spring.

"Across the offensive line, our squats have all improved," said Howle.  "And then working with power cleans, that explosion is critical.  Coach McWhorter talks a lot about being able to 'snap' off of the ball, and that is something we have definitely improved in.  Our explosiveness and strength have both definitely gotten a whole lot better."

From top to bottom, the offensive line improved its times in the 40-yard dash and shuttle run, in addition to the squat numbers and power clean figures.  The strength and conditioning gains, along with experience and knowledge of the offense has Howle excited for what lies ahead in 2013 for the Nittany Lion offensive line.

"I think everyone is progressing," Howle said.  "Guys like John Urschel and Miles (Dieffenbach) have played a full season in the offense.  They are playing well (this spring).  Physically, all of the gains in the weight room are showing up out on the field.  Garry (Gilliam) is picking up the offense after moving from tight end.  That move is not too much of a difference because a tight end does a lot of the same things a tackle does.  So Garry knew all of the blocking schemes, and the same is true for Donovan (Smith) and (Adam) Gress.  Mentally, we are all picking up more than we did last year when we came in with a completely blank slate.  It has been a big improvement."

Visually, the offensive line has been a physical group during spring practice thus far.  The unit wants to be aggressive and throw the first punch on every snap.

"We don't want to wait around and let them hit us. We want to go out there and attack," Howle said.  "That's the mindset.  Coach McWhorter has a sheet we look at every day that says, 'Physical is a Way of Life'.  That's what we are trying to do.  We want to be physical at all times."

There is still a long way to go between now and week one of the 2013 season, but Howle is happy with the progress the Nittany Lions have made on offense.  Now, the goal is to continue building a camaraderie amongst the entire group to build a cohesive unit by the time Aug. 31 rolls around.

"Working as one is the key to a successful offense," Howle said.  "You try to have everyone do everything perfectly on every play.  That's the ideal situation.   Obviously, it's never going to happen on every single play.  But as close as you can get to that is what we are working towards."

The Nittany Lions have a few days off before returning to the practice field on Monday to kickoff the remaining three weeks of spring practice.

"We get a little break here with a few days off.  We are a third of the way done, and we are looking forward to the next 10 practices, for sure," Howle said.


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Coach O'Brien Press Conference Roundup
- O'Brien said on Monday that he is eager to see the linebacker trio of Glenn Carson, Mike Hull and Nyeem Wartman on the field together this spring.

"I'm really looking forward to watching Hull, Carson and Wartman play together, because again, those are three guys that didn't really play together that much last year. Like you said, it was Carson, Mauti and Hodges, and all three of those guys have had excellent off‑seasons.  Glenn Carson and Mike Hull have really worked hard.  They are leaders on this football team.  They are tough guys, good players and then Nyeem, I think he worked very hard this off‑season and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do.  But there's certainly not a lot of depth there, so it's going to be imperative for myself to monitor that and make sure that we are not giving those guys too many reps."

- O'Brien said that LB Ben Kline (shoulder) would not be able to practice this spring.  Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (shoulder) and Kyle Carter (wrist) will practice this spring, but will be held out of contact drills.  Tight end Adam Breneman (knee) will be a full participant in spring practice, but his reps will be monitored.

- Coach O'Brien noted that Ty Howle will start spring practice as the leading candidate to replace All-Big Ten center Matt Stankiewitch.

"Ty Howle will be in that mix.  He'll be the starter going into the spring there.  We've got Wendy Laurent, who will play there, too, and we've got Angelo Mangiro who will be in there.  He's got a little bit of a hamstring issue right now so he won't be there initially.  But hopefully he can get out of the tub and get on to the field because that's where he needs to be, and he'll have a chance to play center, too.  He'll be in that competition."

- O'Brien on quarterbacks Steven Bench and Tyler Ferguson.

"Steven has been in the program for a year and Tyler just got here in January and they are both working at it.  I would say Steven probably knows it a little bit better than Tyler right now just because he's been here for a year, which, that's not Tyler's fault.  He's catching up and he's doing a good job learning.  They are both athletic.  They both can throw the football, and now it's going to depend on how well they can make decisions and how accurately they can throw the football.  They both want to be coached.  They are both on time.  They sit in the front row and they both pay attention and take a lot of notes.  It's a really fun group to be around."

VIDEO: Michael Mauti & Jordan Hill Interviews | VIDEO: Coach O'Brien Press Conference

VIDEO: Rare Disease Champion Award Winner Eric Shrive


ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Nittany Lion head coach Bill O'Brien and the 2012 seniors took center stage at Friday's 2013 Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City.

Before a crowd of 1,100, including a who's who of football celebrities, O'Brien accepted his Maxwell Club Collegiate Coach of the Year Award.  Penn State great Matt Millen introduced O'Brien as the coach of the year to a rousing ovation before the leader of Nittany Lion football addressed the crowd.

The Lion seniors received multiple standing ovations when they were honored as the winner of the Maxwell Football Club's Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award, an honor that is only awarded under special circumstances and is not handed out annually.  The five senior captains - Michael Zordich, Michael Yancich, Matt McGloin, Jordan Hill and Michael Mauti - accepted the award on stage from football coaching great Dick Vermeil before Mauti addressed the crowd.

Additionally, Lion junior Eric Shrive was recognized as the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award winner for his efforts in fundraising for the fight against kidney cancer.

Among the long list of award winners and speakers were Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano (Professional Coach of the Year), NFL MVP Adrian Peterson (Professional Player of the Year), Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o (Collegiate Player of the Year and Bednarik Award winner), Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, ESPN's Suzy Kolber and Merril Hodge, NBC's Cris Collinsworth, NFL Network's Mike Mayock, Maxwell Club President and ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski and former Nittany Lion Adam Taliaferro.

Take a look through some sights and sounds from the Maxwell Awards Gala, including speeches from Mauti and Coach O'Brien.

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