Blue White Illustrated

HAND OF FATE ferred after the NCAA sanctions were announced, and then the Nittany Lions had injuries at the already-thin tailback spot, it looked as though he might be needed. But after two games and a talk with the coaches, who had explained why they would rather redshirt him, Lynch asked to be a part of the scout team. "That's one thing I tried to grasp real quickly – the big picture," he said. "So I took every advantage I had on the scout team, the weight room, the Friday morning lift before games. I just took advantage. You're never going to get this year back." Lynch said he started his redshirt season at 205 pounds, ended it at 210 and was up to 215 by spring practice – without losing any speed. (His latest 40 time, he said: 4.48.) He learned what it was like to tangle with top talent such as Michael Mauti and Jordan Hill. And he bonded with fellow scout teamers Eugene Lewis and Brent Wilkerson, with whom he competed for Scout Team Player of the Week honors. (He won once.) He also learned the tradition behind his number – 22. Lynch had originally wanted to wear No. 5, but Bill Belton was wearing it at the time. He couldn't get No. 2, either, because of Shane McGregor. Longtime equipment manager Spider Caldwell suggested No. 22, and it wasn't long before Lynch was tweeting at a previous wearer of the number – Penn State's all-time rushing leader, Evan Royster. He learned a little about John Cappelletti, too. "I did my research," he said with a smile. "This is a great number." And now he's officially ready to play. He expects to split time at tailback this fall with Zwinak and Belton, and he knows he'll be on the field a lot for special teams. "If they ask me to run down the field and knock a couple of heads off," Lynch said, "I'll definitely do that." And then, of course, he smiled. Zwinak, shown here with defensive back Malik Golden, only carried twice in the Blue-White Game before leaving with a wrist injury. Steve Manuel Zwinak out till August with wrist injury Zach Zwinak only carried the ball two times for 16 yards in the BlueWhite Game, but he may have helped bring about big changes in the way Penn State conducts its traditional spring scrimmage. Zwinak suffered a wrist injury early in the game and didn't return. Bill O'Brien declined to elaborate on the extent of the injury, saying only that Zwinak is expected to be out of action until about halfway through preseason camp in August. That's bad news for Penn State's backfield – Zwinak was the team's leading rusher last fall with 1,000 yards on 203 carries – and it's even worse news for spring football devotees, as the injury appears to have prompted a reconsideration of the Blue-White Game's value, especially with Penn State having to trim its scholarship roster down to 65 players next season. "You can't get your best guys hurt in the spring game," O'Brien said. "I think the people who come back [for Blue-White Weekend] have to understand the situation that we're in. We cannot get our best players hurt in the Blue-White Game. That's when you get labeled a dumb coach." O'Brien talked about the future of the game during a stop on the Coaches Caravan. He said he doesn't want to get rid of it altogether, but he does want to make changes that will help safeguard players. "In my mind, I think you've got to think of ways to have a 15th practice, which is what that is, and make it a great experience for your fans," he said. "It's not that we're going to [eliminate Blue-White Weekend], but maybe it won't be a game. It's a practice." – M.H.

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