Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1001699
P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> FIGHT TO THE FINISH L I N E B A C K E R S Eager to join his former teammates in the NFL, Koa Farmer knows that the next step on that path is to put together a big senior year at PSU oa Farmer's roommates are gone. A year ago, he lived alongside Troy Apke, Saquon Barkley and Grant Haley. Then this past spring, following the conclusion of another 11-win season at Penn State, Farmer watched as all pursued their professional dreams, first with standout showings at the NFL Combine and the school's pro day, and then as they signed contracts with their respective clubs. Farmer, meanwhile, went back to work in preparation for one last season of college football – and then for a future beyond this coming fall. He has new roomies now, although he's keeping similar company, living with fellow fifth-year seniors Mark Allen, Trace McSor- ley, Amani Oruwariye and Nick Scott. The mission remains the same: pile up more wins for the Nittany Lions, earn a berth in another New Year's Six bowl, or maybe even some- thing bigger, and then proceed on the path that guys like Apke, Barkley and Haley tra- versed this past spring. "I want that for myself, and I'm going to pursue that as much as I can," Farmer said. "Seeing that happen to them [is motivating because] those guys are my boys. Those guys are my best friends. I'm going to talk to Troy, I'm going to talk to Grant, I'm going to talk to Saquon for the rest of my life. Those guys are my brothers." Farmer often trained alongside his room- mates as they sharpened their technique ahead of the draft. After they took the team crown at the combine in Indianapolis, he joined them for a night on the town in Miami to celebrate their success. In the back of his mind, he knew his time was coming, but he also knew that noth- ing would be handed to him. You didn't have to live with Saquon Barkley to develop an under- standing of the work ethic, combined with natural gifts, that had propelled him into the upper echelon. With Apke and Haley, he saw it unfold differ- ently, a reminder of how important this up- coming season is. Haley was a four-year contributor on defense, playing in every game as a freshman before finishing his final three seasons as a fixture in the starting lineup. Apke, on the other hand, didn't join the starters until his final season of eligibility – yet he was the one to hear his named called in the draft. Not only does Farmer recog- nize the recency bias that is embedded in the selection process and how a strong sen- ior campaign can thrust his name into the conversation, he also has witnessed the im- portance of the testing num- bers that come after the | VERSATILE PLAYER Farmer said he's feeling more com- fortable than ever at linebacker. After starting 13 games at Sam OLB last year, he can now play both outside posi- tions. Photo by Steve Manuel K