Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
Y ou can't talk about Daequan Hardy's recruitment and not talk about the day that changed it all: Dec. 7, 2018. It was the day of the PIAA Class 5A championship game in Hershey, Pa. Hardy and his Penn Hills teammates were facing Manheim Central, one of Pennsylvania's all-time winningest programs. Going into the game, all the talk was about Central quarterback Evan Simon, who, at the time, held o9ers from Connecticut, Pitt, Rutgers, West Virginia and others. He was supposed to be the star of the show. Hardy had other plans. By the time the game ended, there was no debate over who the best player on the 8eld had been. Lining up as a wide re- ceiver, defensive back and kick returner, Hardy totaled more than 340 all-purpose yards, scored four touchdowns and inter- cepted Simon three times. In addition to his two scores on o9ense, he took an in- terception 100 yards and then returned a kicko9 84 yards. It was a day Hardy, his family and everyone associated with Penn Hills will never forget, as the Indians went on to upset Manheim Central, 36-31. "Sometimes I just smile when I go back and think about that game," Hardy said. "It was so much fun. I can't remember ever having that much fun playing foot- ball. But it also changed everything for me. So I can't help but smile when I think about it, because it was one of the best moments of my life." If there was one thing that really changed in the days that followed, it was Penn State's desire to keep him from leav- ing the state. Hardy immediately heard from other schools, too, including Pitt, but he had piqued James Franklin's inter- For Hardy, high school finale was a game-changer CLICK HERE to see video of Hardy in action. THE HARDY FILE STATS Finished his senior season with 37 catches for 817 yards, and added 373 rushing yards on only 21 carries... Totaled more than 340 all-purpose yards in Penn Hills' 36-31 victory over Manheim Central in the PIAA Class 5A title game HONORS Named a two-star recruit by Rivals.com... Chosen as Class 5A Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Football Writers Association... Was a finalist for the Mr. PA Football Award for big schools... Selected to play in the Big 33 game classroom, his play on the 8eld was con- tinuing to turn heads. During his 8rst year at Lackawanna, he played safety and in- tercepted four passes, returning two for scores. He said he constantly asked his coaches when they thought Penn State might o9er him. He had developed a close relation- ship with Nittany Lion cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who served as Brisker's lead recruiter. As the former head coach at Gateway, Smith also coached Tale' Brisker, serving as an important familial connection for Jaquan. "I love [Smith]," Brisker said. "He's been great to my family and he's been great to me and I haven't even played for him yet. I just know he cares about me and cares about helping me. It's not just about foot- ball. He wants to help me become a better man and keep growing as a person." Penn State extended its o9er to Brisker between his 8rst and second years at Lackawanna. He committed just 8ve days a:er his 8rst visit to University Park, leaving o9ers from Alabama, Mississippi State and Pitt on the table. With his goal accomplished, the 6- foot-1, 190-pound safety used his 8nal year at Lackawanna to further showcase his playmaking ability. The Falcons used more 3-3-5 stacks during Brisker's soph- omore season, so he got a chance to play in the box and led his team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss. Although Penn State's coaching sta9 has con8rmed their intentions to have him play safety, Pardini said Brisker's versatility is just another piece of his game that makes him special. "This will be my 11th fall [at Lack- awanna] coming up, and I have never seen a player like Jaquan Brisker," Pardini said. "He calls out things before they happen, he's got unbelievable ball skills, he's a sure tackler, he can play man coverage with just about anybody. He could play any position on the 8eld. … There's nothing the kid can't do." Brisker led the Falcons to the 8rst 11-0 record in the program's history and sealed his team's El Toro Bowl victory with a late strip sack – a prime example of what Par- dini calls an innate ability Brisker has to come up with crucial plays at crucial times. He transformed himself as a stu- dent while playing at a high enough level to impress college coaches with his readi- ness for the Football Bowl Subdivision. James Franklin has said he envisions Brisker competing for playing time in the secondary in his 8rst season at Penn State. His time at Lackawanna also taught him the importance of opportunity. "I didn't want to let my family down again. I didn't want to let my brother down," Brisker said. "I had to take advan- tage of this extra opportunity, because not everyone gets a second chance." ■ |