Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
5 4 S E P T E M B E R 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 P enn State fans were forced to wait a bit longer than originally planned, but they got the news they were hoping for on July 14 when linebacker Tony Rojas announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions. With the addition of Pittsburgh native Ta'Mere Robinson the following day, the staff picked up both of its top linebacker prospects in this year's class. A third line- backer is still possible, but Rojas and Rob- inson were the two players Penn State ab- solutely had to land. To get a better feel for Rojas' potential, we caught up with Fairfax (Va.) High head coach Trey Taylor recently to talk about the skill set that the On3 Consensus four- star linebacker will be bringing to PSU. BWI: What is Tony like in the locker room, in the weight room and as a stu- dent? TREY TAYLOR: He's a good student. He has like a 3.2 GPA, shows up at school every day and then does the right thing in class. He's not a troublemaker in that regard. I think the thing that stands out about him with me is that he's like one of the guys. He likes to goof around, laugh and joke around during the day. Then, as soon as you get on the football field, he flips the switch and becomes a super intense foot- ball superhero. BWI: How is he as a team leader? Is he a vocal guy or does he mostly lead by his actions? TAYLOR: I would say that last year, he was more of a lead-by-example guy. I think what we've seen this offseason is him recognizing his role and everything surrounding him. He's become more vo- cal, but he's still developing that part of his leadership. BWI: On the field, specifically at the linebacker position, what are the skills that come naturally to him? What grabs your attention when you watch him play? Four-star linebacker prospect Tony Rojas, shown here with Penn State football chief of staff Kevin Threlkel, chose the Nittany Lions over Clemson and Georgia. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Fairfax (Va.) High coach Trey Taylor explains what makes Tony Rojas such a big commitment for Penn State RYA N S N Y D E R | RYAN.SNYDER@ON3.COM Fast Learner