Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1276571
threw for 339. Indiana's Peyton Ramsey threw for 371. Memphis's Brady White threw for 454 in the Cotton Bowl. Penn State finished 13th in the Big Ten in pass defense, having allowed 251.5 yards per game, and one of the reasons why those quarterbacks were able to rack up such big numbers was because the Lions weren't especially opportunistic. They finished with 10 interceptions as a team, tying for 61st place in the FBS. In their two losses – to Minnesota and Ohio State – their opponents threw five touchdown passes and no picks. Brisker is eager to do his part to improve those numbers. During the spring sports shutdown, he trained back home, using the facilities at nearby Woodland Hills High, where his former Gateway coach is now working. He also worked out regu- larly with fellow Pittsburgh native Aaron Donald. For the past six seasons, Donald has been a Pro Bowl defensive lineman with the Rams, but he got his start at Penn Hills just east of Pittsburgh, and Brisker has known him for years. "He's a good example of hard work," Brisker said. "That's what I want to be. I just watch everything he does." Now that he's back on campus, the sen- ior safety is busy getting acclimated to a new position that isn't really all that new. With Wade listed as the team's top nickel back, there's a chance that Brisker will still be required at times to slide over to the field safety spot, with Sutherland then stepping in at the boundary posi- tion. But no matter where he's stationed, Brisker is looking to take advantage of the experience he's gained, and to use the coming season as a springboard to an even higher level of football success. "Personally, I want to lead the country in interceptions," he said. "I feel like I left so many interceptions on the table last year. I feel like I was just a step too late. I was there, but I should have just trusted my instincts. Obviously, it was my first year, but I feel like that's not the person I am. Whether it was my first year in [ju- nior] college or high school, I always made plays. I feel like I should have been there. This year, I'm going to make up for it." ■ W hen Trent Gordon was first ap- proached by Penn State's coaching staff during winter workouts to ask if he would be interested in moving from cor- nerback to safety, it seemed certain he would have nearly an entire off-season to make that transition. Needless to say, it hasn't been quite so simple. The coronavirus pandemic kept Gordon and the rest of his teammates away from campus from March through the begin- ning of June, and as of late July, he was still waiting to participate in his first for- mal practice at the safety position. Fortunately for Gordon, the change isn't likely to be too jarring. He played a good amount at the safety spot in high school and thinks he has the requisite skills to make the transition smoothly. "I'm very, very comfortable with doing it," Gordon said. "Then on top of that, being a safety just builds on my skill set as a corner. Now I can be more physical. Now I can play a lot more fast because I can see everything being the farthest level of the secondary. It allows me to kind of dissect the play and react quicker than I would as a corner." While the instincts might be there al- ready for Gordon thanks to his familiarity with the position, he was asked to make a physical transformation during the off- season to add the weight he would need to take on opposing running backs from the safety spot. He said he moved up from around 185 pounds, where he was comfortable play- ing as a cornerback, to 200 pounds now. "I had to really look at things and say, yeah, if you want to hit the big guys it's time for you to put on some pounds," Gordon said. Gordon saw a decent amount of playing time during his redshirt freshman season a year ago, culminating in a solid five- tackle showing against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl. The idea of swapping Gordon's role, first broached by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, gave Gordon optimism that he might be able to earn more consistent playing time. On Penn State's spring depth chart, he was listed third at the safety position, behind Tyler Rudolph and Lamont Wade. Heading into August, he still had not taken a snap at safety in a formal practice. But since the start of the quarantine last Former CB Gordon excited about move to safety | Ryan Snyder TRENT GORDON