Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
CHANCE OF A LIFETIME D E F E N S I V E B A C K S Football is Jaquan Brisker's passion. As his final college season nears, the senior safety is looking to show the full range of his talent aquan Brisker always wanted to be a great football player. And always, in this instance, doesn't mean since he was a high school freshman. Or since his Pop Warner days. Or even since he was old enough to watch sports on TV. Al- ways, in this instance, means always. Growing up, Brisker said, "everything was a football to me – socks, slides, any- thing. Anything I picked up was a football. I always wanted to be a football player. That was always my dream. 'Football' was probably one of the first words I said." That last bit might be an exaggeration, but not by much. Brisker grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, where the Steelers and the WPIAL are both year-round ob- sessions. As he got older, he began paying attention to NFL stars like Ed Reed and Earl Thomas, impressed with their ability to always be in the right place at the right time even when facing elite quarterbacks. Over the years, a number of football- playing institutions have benefitted from Brisker's fierce devotion to the game. The first was Gateway High in Monroeville, where he developed into a two-time team captain and a Class 5A All-State safety. The second was Lackawanna College in Scranton, where he became one of the top juco prospects in the Class of 2019, a player so versatile that Falcons assistant coach Josh Pardini said of him, "There's nothing the kid can't do." And now it's Penn State's turn. The Nit- tany Lions are welcoming Brisker back for his second and final season at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. The coaching staff believes he can be a force against both the run and the pass, and they're not alone. Brisker believes it, too. "Last year was an OK year, but this year I feel like myself," said the 6-foot-1, 210- pound senior. "I feel very comfortable at the weight I'm at, I feel way faster, smarter. I'm ready for this year." In his first season at Penn State, Brisker backed up Lamont Wade at the field safety spot. Even though he didn't start any games, he tied for the team lead with two interceptions, | J >>