Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L P enn State is where Jaquan Brisker al- ways wanted to be. But during his junior year of high school, as others in his recruiting class were making their commitments, it be- came evident that Brisker's path to Happy Valley would require a detour. This summer, a3er overcoming injuries as a high schooler and improving his ac- ademic portfolio during his two years at Lackawanna College, Brisker's detour is ending. The three-star safety has 1nally reached a personal milestone with his ar- rival in University Park. "If my grades were good my junior year of high school, I would have committed to Penn State," Brisker said. "I walked into [Lackawanna] with a Penn State T-shirt and I haven't stopped wearing it since. … I've always been all about Penn State." The Nittany Lions' coaching sta2 showed interest in Brisker a3er watching the 1rst game of his junior season – which he called his breakout year – at Gateway High School. But his grades weren't where they needed to be in order for top programs to extend o2ers. Brisker said he could have grayshirted at Toledo, but he believed he was destined to play at a big school. With his academics in need of improve- ment and a spot on Penn State's roster still the goal, Brisker traveled across the state from his home just outside of Pittsburgh to Lackawanna College in Scranton. "When you go from being the best player on your team to having to go to a [junior college], that's not a move guys want to do," Brisker said. "But then I had a great talk with [Lackawanna head coach Mark Duda] about this, and what Lack could do for me and how much they could help me. I knew I had to mature." For many players who elect to take the juco route, it's not a football decision. Brisker's enrollment at Lackawanna was no di2erent. He had to learn how to be a better student and, perhaps more impor- tant, understand what it meant to operate in a structured environment. In high school, he said he was seldom held accountable for decisions he made. On one occasion, Brisker had to sit out a crucial playo2 game during his senior year because he hadn't been showing up to class. Watching his team lose from the bench lit a 1re under him, and the sta2 at Lack- awanna was able to transform that anger into positive energy. "Program-wide we let our kids know as soon as they get through the door that they tried it their way in high school and it got them to our place, so try it our way because it works," Lackawanna o2ensive coordinator Josh Pardini said. "Acade- mics are actually a bigger focus here than football." Pardini said it didn't take Brisker long to mature in the classroom, especially a3er learning how serious the sta2 is about players' grades. At Lackawanna, missing a class means missing a game, and Brisker wasn't about to let that become a trend for him and potentially ruin his second chance. "Athletically, there's really nobody who compares to Jaquan Brisker," Pardini said. "He just needed some guidance, he needed somebody to put his arm around him, which our sta2 did, and show him the right way to do things." In addition to his desire to reach new levels on the 1eld, Brisker was motivated by his family. He talked with his uncle and cousin prior to signing with Lackawanna, and their words stayed with him as a driv- ing force. So, too, did the memory of his brother, Tale', who in February 2015 was shot and killed in Texas. Brisker prays to him before games and points to the sky a3er interceptions. "I remember talking to my family about betting on myself and using Lackawanna as a second chance," Brisker said. "I knew I had to come here and get A's and B's. … It got me focused on what really mat- tered. It gave me the chance to get good grades and be focused." As Brisker was beginning to thrive in the Brisker fulfills longstanding goal by earning PSU scholarship CLICK HERE to see video of Brisker in action. | THE BRISKER FILE STATS Finished his second season at Lackawanna College with 64 tack- les, including 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks... Broke up five passes, had one forced fumble and returned another fumble for a touchdown in helping lead the Falcons to an 11-0 record... Had 54 tackles, 4.5 TFL, four interceptions and four pass breakups in his first season at Lackawanna... Tied a school record with 42 catches as a senior at Gateway High, finishing with 781 yards and 11 TDs HONORS Named a three-star re- cruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 19 junior college prospect in the na- tion... Was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Northeast Football Conference and a first-team All-Con- ference selec- tion... Named Defensive MVP of the El Toro Bowl... Was a Class 5A All-State selection by West- ernPAFootball.net following senior year at Gate- way