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T H E 2 0 1 9 S E A S O N his first season with the Nittany Lions after redshirting last fall, suggested via social media that the honor reflected a culture change within the offensive line room. Taking note of the tweet by his young left tackle, Limegrover expressed his pride over the sentiment. "I appreciated it when I saw that. It brought a smile to my face, because I think that the guys are recognizing it, and I think that's important. As the coach, I'm constantly evaluating the culture and trying to create it in the way that you want it to be," Limegrover said. "I think it's pretty special when the guys start rec- ognizing that and they start taking own- ership. So that's pretty cool as far as I'm concerned." Menet and Fries have also played key roles in the line's evolution. Named an of- fensive team captain alongside Sean Clif- ford and Pat Freiermuth, Menet has embraced the responsibilities that come with the center position, the anchor of the offensive front. Called upon by Franklin to break the team down in the locker room after the loss at Minnesota, the fourth-year junior emotionally bound his teammates together. "The only thing I've got to say is, I love all of you," he told them. "That's it. That's all it comes down to. We've got a broth- erhood here. We can all lean on each other, so let's do it now in our time of need." For a position group that requires the most cooperation and is as complex as any on the field, the bond ushered in by Menet has been unmistakable. Organiz- ing the unit the same way quarterback Trace McSorley did with the team's skill position players, or as Clifford does now, Menet fully grasped his influence and impact this past off-season. Limegrover saw that maturation first- hand. "He's our center. He understands more than ever. I don't know if he fully did at times last year, but he does now, the im- portance of being the leader at the center position. He understands that he's the guy who gets those guys going," Limegrover said. "He's taking that re- sponsibility, which those guys have all fallen in line with." Meanwhile, Fries' place as a leader on the line has been similar to that of Gon- zalez and Menet, but also distinct. Described as naturally funny, the fourth-year junior has bridged the gap between the experienced veterans and the younger players in the room, nine of whom have two or more years of eligibil- ity remaining. Fries has used the admitted challenges of his sophomore season as a springboard to improvement. Limegrover said he handles everything like a profes- sional – off-season training, summer workouts, fall camp, pregame walk- throughs, written tests and tip sheets. And as a result of that effort, the coach has frequently used him as an example for the younger players in the room to emu- late. "Will is a hard, hard worker, and every- body appreciates that. You talk about putting your hard hat on every day and giving a solid day's work, that's going to be Will," Limegrover said. "Here's how you prepare, here's how you take notes in a meeting, here's how you go out to a walk-through, and those types of things." Thanks to standards set by Limegrover and his veteran players, Penn State's 2019 offensive line has been able to transform all of its leadership and chemistry into on-field results. "I think every position would say the culture in [their] room is important," Limegrover said. "But O-line is just so different and just so special, and when we get the guys to have that complete buy-in and they're excited about coming into the room every day, and they love the idea of what they can accomplish together, I think that's when you know you're really hitting things on all cylinders. "I love coming to work every day. I love being part of that group, because it is a special group and I'll say that until the day I retire and move on to the next life, that being an O-line coach and being an O-lineman, there's nothing like it. I love the fact that those guys are enjoying being in that room and being a part of what we have going on here." ■ C O A C H S P E A K M A T T L I M E G R O V E R ON STEVEN GONZALEZ He's still not a real loud kid, but he's a kid who our players in that room listen to, and he doesn't say a whole lot. So I really like that. As opposed to previous years, he just goes out and plays now. He goes out and practices hard, he plays hard, and I couldn't always say that about Steve. But I think he's having fun. At one point probably three weeks ago, we didn't have a great Tuesday practice and I texted him and said, "Hey, come and see me." He came by and I said, "Listen, you don't realize this, but they'll go as you go. You go out there and you commit to having a great Wednesday, and they're going to follow." And we probably had one of our best practices, at least this year, maybe in the last couple of years, but he led the charge. He didn't say a whole lot, but you could tell he was ready to practice. I like that now he's 9- nally having that kind of success. ON GONZALEZ, MICHAL MENET AND WILL FRIES I think between those three, there's not a whole lot of overlap and how their styles are, but they mesh to- gether and they enjoy being around each other. If you ask them, I think they're all having the time of their life, which is great for me. Sometimes we all forget this is game and you're supposed to have fun playing games, so I like the fact that those guys are enjoying being a part of this right now and have smiles on their faces. ■

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