Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1467458
1 8 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Linebacker Tyler Elsdon came to Penn State in 2020 from North Schuylkill (Pa.) High, a Class AAA school in the heart of the coal region. He had been a four-year letterman for the Spar- tans, but the transition from one of the smaller classifications in the state to the Big Ten took some time. Now a third-year sophomore, Elsdon has made the necessary adjustments and is vying with redshirt freshman Kobe King for a starting spot in the middle of the Nittany Lions' defense. Eager to play an expanded role in the 2022 season, the 6-foot-2, 229-pound linebacker recently took the time to dis- cuss his career path. QUESTION: You haven't gotten on the field a lot yet. What has your devel- opment been like, and where are you at in your career right now? ELSDON: "I came from a small high school in PA, and I think that was the biggest factor in my transition when I got here. I played a lot of tough teams, just maybe not the level of competition you would see here. "So, my first year, even my second year, there were a lot of transitional things I had to go through. There was more competition — faster guys, big- ger guys. Through those first two years, there was a lot of learning, a lot of growing. "Now, I feel comfortable. I feel like myself again on the football field, which is huge. I feel more confident. It's been a process." QUESTION: What did you learn from playing behind Ellis Brooks and Jesse Luketa the past two years? ELSDON: "Those are two fantastic leaders, fantastic football players and just fantastic people. They were just super supportive of me, always show- ing me love. And when it comes to the game of football, they're super intel- ligent. Their football IQ is through the roof. Any questions I had, they would sit down with me, talk it out, explain on a player-to-player level and just help me develop. "They were always pushing me past my limits. Even today, if I have ques- tions, I can still reach out to them. And sometimes they reach out to me just to see how I'm doing. They're extremely good guys, Penn State guys. They just want the best for the team." QUESTION: How do you feel you've grown into your role as a Mike line- backer? ELSDON: "Being a Mike linebacker, you've got to be vocal. You've got to be a dominant figure on the field, whether that's physically, mentally or emotion- ally. I've embraced that. I love being in a leadership role. I'm trying to grow as a leader and gain more and more trust from the players." QUESTION: What's the competi- tion been like between you and Kobe King? ELSDON: "The competition is awe- some. It keeps me on my toes, and it keeps him on his toes. It just drives us to get better. I think we're very selfless about it. No matter who's on the field, even though we're competing, we're re- ally pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves. I think it's a very healthy relationship between me and Kobe." QUESTION: What have you learned about the type of mentality that you need to have to be a linebacker at Penn State? ELSDON: "There's a standard. The coaches always say, the standard is the standard, there's no deviation. When I think about it, being from PA, being at Linebacker U, playing at Penn State, there's a weight on your shoulders al- most. There's a lot of pressure. "There are guys who've come through here, and everyone has their own story, but the thing about LBU is, you can come from anywhere. When you go on the field, you're just supporting each other and making plays. "The camaraderie behind it — that's probably what I've learned the most. Dan Connor, he's on the staff now [as an ana- lyst], and just being able to talk to him about it and his experiences [has been helpful]. Going back on YouTube, watch- ing Paul Posluszny, Sean Lee, LaVar Ar- rington, guys like that, and really embrac- ing the position I'm in — it really drives me. It drives me to be a perfectionist. Even though perfection is not a thing, it makes me want to be damn close." ■ Sitting Down With Tyler Elsdon Elsdon appeared in 12 games for the Nittany Lions as a redshirt freshman last season, finishing with 12 tackles (nine solo). PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL