Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
1 8 O C T O 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 Of all the qualities that Sal Wormley has brought to Penn State's offensive line in his four years on campus, the one that's been most evident so far is his patience. Wormley was supposed to be one of the guards on assistant coach Phil Trautwein's starting five last fall, but an unspeci- fied preseason injury forced him to the sideline. He ended up missing the entire 2021 season. Wormley persevered, however, and now, as a redshirt junior, he's manning the starting spot on the right side of the line, a position that he had expected to fill last year. He's part of a three-man Nittany Lion guard contingent that also features redshirt freshman Landon Tengwall at the opposite spot and senior transfer Hunter Nourzad as the backup. Wormley recently took the time to talk with reporters about his return to action. BWI: It's been a long jour- ney for you to get back onto the field. How has it felt to be play- ing again, and how are you bet- ter for having gone through that experience? WORMLEY: "I think that whole experience that I went through just gave me a better viewpoint on the opportunity that I have. It just made me work harder knowing that something I love can [be taken away] so fast with me barely doing anything. Going through that injury and coming back, I think it's been a great experience for me, because I've come back better." BWI: How do you feel about the situation at guard with Landon Tengwall getting the start and Hunter Nourzad as the backup at both spots? What's the comfort level like now that the three of you are sharing two roles? WORMLEY: "We're really comfortable with each other. We're all close friends. We're in the same room, we talk every day, we laugh, joke. We all understand that we've got to do what's best for the team. Whoever plays, plays. Whoever is in that backup role at the time, support the others. Everybody needs to support each other, no matter who's playing in the game." BWI: There's been a lot of hype around Nicholas Singleton as a freshman. What are your observations after seeing how he's fit in at running back? WORMLEY: "Nick is very athletic and very coachable. He communicates with us [on the offensive line], and he runs very hard. He hits that top speed faster than anybody I've ever seen. He just goes when it's an open hole." BWI: What are your impressions of the team's other fresh- man running back, Kaytron Allen? WORMLEY: "It's really hard for us to tell which back is in, to be honest. They all have their own great qualities. They all hit the hole differently, but they get downfield. Sometimes I'll be blocking and I'll look to the left and see Kaytron trucking some- body. Or I'll look to the right and see Nick Singleton running 50 miles per hour downfield, or I'll look to the left and there's Keyvone [Lee] juking somebody. There's always something go- ing on with the running backs." BWI: When did you start to feel like you were all the way back from your injury? WORMLEY: "I was good all through [preseason] camp, all ready to go. That game [against Purdue], I just had to lock in. But I've been feeling like I was ready to go since camp started." BWI: You were on track to start last year until the injury. What did you learn about yourself hav- ing to sit out, and who were the key people who helped you get through the rougher moments? WORMLEY: "What I learned is that I truly do love the sport of football. When it was taken away from me, I was in a pretty low spot, just thinking back. The people who helped me out the most were my mother, of course. She talked me through every- thing. And Coach Traut, we grew a little closer. He started checking in on me more, making sure I was OK, making sure I had everything I needed. Those were the two people who helped me out the most. " BWI: Have you had a chance to reflect on what it means to be back and have a season ahead of you this fall? WORMLEY: "It's hard to focus on the past when we have games coming up. We talk so much about going 1-0. The only time I've really sat down and thought about it was the day after the [Purdue] game. After that, I was focused on Ohio, Ohio, Ohio. "When I finally did sit down and soak it all in, it made me feel glad that I worked so hard. I didn't take any reps off when I could have. I did every little thing I possibly could to get back as soon as possible. So, just knowing that I did everything I could to be in the position I'm at, that made me happy." ■ Sitting Down With Redshirt Junior Offensive Guard Sal Wormley Wormley had appeared in only four games at Penn State before winning the start- ing right guard position ahead of this year's season opener at Purdue. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER