Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1030409
P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> there and performed extremely well in high-pressure situations." But there are other on- and off-field factors to con- sider. "I think his legacy is far from over, not only from this season but beyond," Rahne said. "I'm still of the firm belief that he's going to play in the NFL for a long time, but even after that, his success after his football days are done is going to be part of his legacy that, as coaches here at Penn State, our program is going to be pointing to for a long time." The greater context at Penn State factors into this question, too. When McSorley arrived in University Park in the summer of 2014, the Nittany Lions were fighting for relevancy following the Sandusky scandal and were still battling the effects of the NCAA's sanctions. But after a 49- 10 loss at Michigan in September 2016, the Lions made a sharp upward turn and quickly re-asserted themselves as cham- pionship contenders. Following their 63- 10 romp over Kent State, McSorley was 25-5 as a starting quarterback, a record that Rahne said will help assure him a place in the pantheon of great Penn State players. "I think as time passes, mythology grows with some players, and I think that will probably happen with him," Rahne said. "I think people will look back at him and be really appreciative of the impact that he's made on this pro- gram. And not only that, but also the way that he handled himself while he was here, through adversity, through success. I think that when people look back at him, he's going to be the embod- iment of what they want a Penn State football player to be." McSorley isn't oblivious to that possi- bility. Although he's preoccupied with the season at hand, he can afford the small indulgence of looking ahead to a future that has been painted so glowingly by teammates and coaches. The thought of it already brings him pride. Said McSor- ley, "To be able to come back one day with a family of my own and look back and be thought of in that light, and be able to in- troduce them to the Penn State tradition and everything that goes with it, to have lived it and gone through it and be that guy, is something that I hope I can do one day." ■