Blue White Illustrated

STILL IN THE GAME T H E 2 0 1 9 S E A S O N "When I was fighting for the third-string spot when I first got here, I was watching the same amount of tape, I was just as hungry back then," he said. "Obviously, I have a different role now, but for me, in my eyes, I don't need to change a thing be- cause I've been doing it every single day." The intensity of that work has never been in question. In the win- ter of 2018, he broke his hand after punching a bench in the weight room. He had failed to meet a lift- ing goal and was upset with him- self. "Obviously, that's not what we want a quarterback to do," coach James Franklin said. "But he's a very, very fiery competitor." That temporary setback aside, Clifford has turned himself into a more efficient quarterback and also a better athlete. "He's someone who will surprise you with his quickness," defen- sive end Yetur Gross-Matos said. "He has the ability to run past you or make you miss. And we've seen him grow a lot as a quarterback, not panicking all the time, having poise and doing what's correct." His ascent to the Lions' starting quar- terback spot is just the latest step in an athletic career that began to really take off in high school, when he was develop- ing the four-star recruiting portfolio that would eventually land him at Penn State. Clifford was recently asked to reflect on that experience and the lessons he's learned since then. "Since you stepped off the field in the state championship game," he was asked, "what are the most important lessons you've learned about how to conduct yourself as a leader?" The question, he said, "brings back some sweet memories." And the answer? The most important leadership quality? Said Clifford, "Stay- ing true to who you are." "When I was a senior in high school, I just loved the game of football, I loved the guys I played it with," he said. "That has- n't changed with a new team. I've gotten even closer to these guys. We've been through our ups and downs for the [time] that I've been here. I'm really excited to see where the season takes us and excited to be in the spot that I am." ■ A 8er his state championship-winning sophomore season at Aquinas Insti- tute in Rochester, N.Y., Jake Zembiec believed that he would possibly go on to play in the NFL. Zembiec had already started to garner scholarship o7ers, ultimately picking Penn State over Oklahoma State and Michigan State. He would go on to be- come New York's Gatorade Player of the Year a8er winning a second state title his senior season. And as a January en- rollee in the Nittany Lions' Class of 2016, he appeared poised to battle Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens for an opportunity to lead the team immedi- ately. Were it not for the constant pain in his right shoulder, a sensation so uncom- fortable that he couldn't sleep and would get nauseous while throwing, those aspirations might have come to fruition. But he had arrived at Penn State with the nagging injury and spent his 6rst two years on campus rehabili- tating, undergoing surgery, and rehabil- itating some more. Eventually, he decided to end his playing career, qui- etly announcing in August 2018 that he was retiring from the game. "Once I got hurt, playing doesn't do it for you anymore," Zembiec said. "It's not as fun when you go to practice and your job is to throw, and when you A shoulder injury brought his playing career to an end, but former QB Jake Zembiec has found a new role in the Nittany Lions' football program | STAYING POWER Zembiec has re- mained close to the program even though he was forced to give up football just over a year ago. Photo by Nate Bauer

• Cover