Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
6 0 A U G U S T 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 ern in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as a walk- on defensive lineman in the fall of 2020. Strohmeier knew he had the potential to be good, but since he was playing for the first time as a defensive lineman, he had to come in as a walk-on and prove himself. As it turned out, van den Berg was more than willing to take on that challenge. "His work ethic is incredible. He's a great kid, a great student," Strohmeier said. "Everybody loves him. He just did everything that you want your players to do, on and off the field. When he tran- sitioned, he did just a great job when we were practicing, and that's when I told him that I'll put him on scholarship in the spring." Because the COVID-19 pandemic forced junior colleges to push their 2020 seasons back to the spring of 2021, van den Berg was a scholarship player when he took the field for the first time on March 27. He totaled 3 tackles and a sack in just the first quarter of his first game before suffering a knee injury and having to sit out three weeks. He returned to action later that spring and finished the season with 20 tackles and a sack in five games. Looking back, Strohmeier said he be- lieves the season's delayed start ended up working to van den Berg's advantage. "So many kids have been hurt by the pandemic, but for a kid like him it helped, because it gave him the fall to put on some weight," Strohmeier said. "If he played right away in the fall as a freshman at 250 pounds, I'm not sure he would have had the success he had." Having done well academically at Iowa Western, van den Berg was eligible to leave after just his first season. His per- formance during the spring had gener- ated interest among FBS programs, and it also helped that the season didn't count against his eligibility. With those factors working in his favor, van den Berg became an attractive prospect to programs that found themselves with holes to fill com- ing out of spring practice. Last year, schools were allowed to work players out individually outside of camp settings. That, too, proved helpful to van den Berg, because Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska were all able to see him up close before deciding whether to offer. Stand- ing 6-3, 279 pounds, van den Berg ran a 4.75-second 40-yard dash and had a 31- inch vertical leap. All three schools ended up offering, and Strohmeier knew then that van den Berg had to take them up on the opportunity. "He was going to come back until he went on these visits and worked out with each school," Strohmeier said. "I told him, to be a five-years-to-play-four-years kid, you have to take this opportunity. He had some lower-level offers, but it was really Power Five or bust for him." With summer classes about to start, van den Berg ended up committing im- mediately after earning an offer from Penn State on June 6, 2021. He went back to Iowa, gathered his belongings and en- rolled at PSU the following week. "It meant a lot [coming] from a pro- gram like this," van den Berg said. "[Penn State is] a very historical, iconic program. It meant a lot that they trusted me. This fan base is amazing. It's one of the top college football programs to come to. The fans are crazy here. Everything is just football-oriented. This is definitely a football school." Now up to 295 pounds, van den Berg has the size to truly contribute at the Power Five level. Despite redshirting last year, he still impacted a few games, forc- ing a fumble on a sack late in the fourth quarter against Maryland. He performed well against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl, too, totaling 3 tackles, including 1 for a loss of yards. With four seasons of eligibility remain- ing, van den Berg should see his role in- crease even more in 2022. Super senior PJ Mustipher, redshirt sophomore Coziah Izzard and redshirt junior Dvon Ellies are ahead of him on the depth chart, so he won't have much pressure to produce in- stantly. That bodes well for this season's objectives. "My goal is just to carry on developing as a player and as a person," van den Berg said. "I want to just hone in on my skill sets and just become more of a complete football player." But make no mistake, he fully expects to have a big impact on the program be- fore he leaves. "I'm a very electric player," van den Berg said. "I'm very twitchy, so [fans] can expect to see me in the backfield a lot. I feel like I can be a difference-maker in the next year." ■ DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Van den Berg came to the United States at the age of 10 from Johannesburg, South Africa. After learning the game of football in high school, he went on to earn first-team Junior College All-America honors before arriving at PSU in 2021. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL