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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> throw, it hurts, every time. Once that happened, it slowly took the love out of the game for me." Approached that summer by Penn State's coaching sta: about an opportu- nity to remain with the program on a medical scholarship, Zembiec took some time to process the gradual fading of his original aspirations. But the joy he had experienced playing the game in high school had long since diminished, so Zembiec pivoted. He couldn't be happier about it. "I was like, absolutely. I think this is de8nitely something that I would love to do," Zembiec recalled. "I had been checked out for a while where I had been going through too much crap for so long. I don't feel like I'm ever going to be good enough to play to the level that I need to be able to start here. And so, I'm basically playing in pain, knowing I wasn't going to be able to progress at all. When I made that decision I was extremely happy and still am. I don't regret it at all." Taking a new path, Zembiec has as- sumed a role with the Nittany Lion foot- ball program that has allowed him to continue to have an impact. He was an unmistakable presence on Penn State's sideline last season, and now he's round- ing out his fourth year in the program in the same player-coach role. Trading his No. 7 jersey for a polo shirt, navy khakis and most notably, a headset and red base- ball cap, the former Rivals.com four-star quarterback acts as one of a series of sig- nalers into Penn State's o:ense. Comple- menting the get-up, Zembiec also wears a thick horseshoe mustache and a handful of gold chains around his neck. Head coach James Franklin has always encouraged those in his program to take ownership of their roles, no matter how big or small they may be, and Zembiec has become a prime example of that process coming to fruition. He is a liaison to the players, with the ability to bring in- struction and insight to the quarterbacks room, and his in9uence extends well be- yond the locker room, 8lm study, or the practice 8eld. "I think he's got great perspective. I think it shows guys there are all di:erent ways to have a successful career here. It's not always just with your contribution on Saturdays. It could be as a backup, could be as a scout team guy. It could be a Jake situation where he's a medical," Franklin said. "And still, he's a huge part of the team and still has a connection to the team and to the coaching sta:. And I think he really feels like he's bringing value, which he is." To get to this point, Zembiec 8rst had to embrace a new perspective. He had been drawn to football not so much by a love of the game as a passion for the elements at its heart: competition and teamwork. "I liked being around the guys more than I liked the game itself," Zembiec said. "I more liked the team atmosphere and things that you get from football as op- posed to playing and learning the game of football. People ask me if I'm getting into coaching, just assuming from what my role is now, and no, I really don't have any interest. I wish I did because I have a great path to get right into it starting o: at Penn State, but my heart's just really not into it. But, being around the guys and being able to give back to them and see them happy, it's something that I would do forever." Instead of coaching, Zembiec has de- cided to pursue a career in physical ther- apy, a choice motivated in part by his own experience with rehabilitation. A kinesi- ology major who is expecting to graduate with a 3.85-or-higher grade-point aver- age, he has channeled his passions into a new form, turning his attention to grad school and eventually a career as a phys- ical therapist. He has o:ered to work in the Lasch Building o;ces if needed sim- ply to have a presence with the players he has come to know so well. Zembiec has found it to be a path worth pursuing, and his coach agrees. "We work really hard at keeping these guys connected and 8nding something that they may be passionate about," Franklin said. "It may be the weight room, it may be coaching, it may be in the re- cruiting o;ce, it may be in equipment. We 8nd an area that they are passionate about and get them involved, and then keep them around the guys. It's really im- portant." ■

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