Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1420595
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M and then as soon as I saw Penn State, I was like, yeah, I'm talking to Penn State. "The conversations just advanced, and we were kind of saying what each other wanted to hear. Once Penn State came into the picture, I really just tried to focus on Penn State." It's worked out well for both, as some offseason departures left coordinator Brent Pry's defense thin in the middle. Tangelo, who says he thinks of himself as a fun guy who provides energy and a spark both on the field and off of it, wasted no time showing why his new coaches wanted to bring him in. One play in particular that stands out came in the Lions' 28-20 victory over Au- burn, when he hustled downfield to stop Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter from scoring in the fourth quarter. Four plays later, the visitors turned the ball over on downs, and Penn State hung on to extend its unbeaten start to the season. It's just one way in which the veteran defensive tackle has made an impression so far. "I think he's embraced it all and is playing with a lot of confidence," Frank- lin said. "Derrick has got — it's weird for me to say Derrick because we always say Congo — but his personality, I hope you guys get to know him better throughout this year because he's been an unbeliev- able fit in our locker room. "He's got a bunch of personality, really interacts with the players and the coaches well, and I think that's been important in our locker room, too." With hopes of one day becoming a sports broadcaster, Tangelo is working toward a degree in communications arts and sciences at Penn State after graduat- ing with a bachelor's in sociology and a minor in cultural anthropology at Duke. Of course, he hopes to be playing football for a long time before he starts talking about it from above a field somewhere, and given the way he's played so far, there's a strong chance that will happen. "I feel like I'm good at doing my job, whatever the coach asks me to do," Tan- gelo said. "I feel like I've just got to be physical, play fast, and just have fun. "You know the D-line, we're a veteran group, so we've played a lot of football, individually but also collectively. So just being able to talk to people who have been in certain situations or the same situations as you has really helped." ■ "I think he's embraced it all and is playing with a lot of confi- dence. He's got a bunch of per- sonality, really interacts with the players and the coaches well, and I think that's been im- portant in our locker room, too." H E A D C O A C H J A M E S F R A N K L I N O N T A N G E L O Through Penn State's first six games, Tangelo has made his presence felt on the defensive line with 11 total tackles, including two for loss, and one fumble recovery. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL