Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
1 8 N O V 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 After arriving at Penn State as a true freshman walk-on last year, Dominic DeLuca didn't waste any time making an impression on the coaching staff. DeLuca saw action on special teams in three games and shared the Nittany Li- ons' Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Year honor. This season, the West Pittston, Pa., native has continued his ascent. He's been backing up super senior Jonathan Sutherland at the Sam outside line- backer spot and had amassed 15 tackles through seven games. DeLuca, who helped lead Wyoming Area High to a Class AAA state cham- pionship as a senior, recently took the time to talk with reporters about his ca- reer path. QUESTION: You've been working into the rotation at linebacker, getting some more experience with the defense. What has it been like to have a role on Saturdays? DeLUCA: "It's a great feeling. I'm blessed to have the opportunity and very appreciative of it. Coach [James] Franklin trusts me, Coach [Manny] Diaz trusts me. "They've been getting me time on defense, and I'm learning from Jon Sutherland, a sixth-year vet — there's no better way to learn than from that guy." QU EST I O N : How m u c h h a s i t helped you to have Sutherland's expe- rience as a model? DeLUCA: "A lot. The same things that I struggled with, he said he strug- gled with at first. Going to him as a helpful mentor has made everything a lot easier — reading film, reading the gap schemes. That was my big problem when I first got there, but now I've got it locked down." QUESTION: What was your mind- set coming to Penn State as a walk-on? DeLUCA: "I knew I just needed to get my spot on the team, and I would be able to prove to them that I belong here with everyone else. I felt like being on D-squad last year going up against [tight ends] Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson — they made me better. "I took it upon myself to make sure they were game-ready each week, and that made me better as a person and as a football player. That really put me in the position where I am right now." QUESTION: Was there a moment where you felt like everything was click- ing for you in terms of making the jump into the rotation? DeLUCA: "I would say fall camp and practice last spring, learning from ev- eryone there. [Sophomore linebacker] Curtis Jacobs used to be a Sam, so I would always ask him questions. He's been helping me a lot recently. "I feel like the way I approached fall camp was also big for me. I made sure I was prepared for Week 1." QUESTION: What was different about your approach to fall camp this year? DeLUCA: "My first fall camp, I didn't get that many reps. I was studying the playbook, but I wasn't in it how I should have been. It took me a while to get used to it. I ended up learning the playbook pretty well and getting my reps. "This fall, I knew I was going to be a [first- or second-teamer] with Jon Sutherland. I knew I had to battle, so I took it to heart. I got into the playbook 24- 7. I kept my head down, played my game and tried to make a name for myself." QUESTION: You've been described as one of the hardest workers on the team. Do you see it that way, and in what ways has the work changed from high school to college? D e LUCA : " T h e h a rd wo rk h a s changed a lot. I'm putting in more film hours than I did in high school, more time on the field, more time after prac- tice. I'm putting in extra work with oth- ers as well. "I just [accepted that] if I really want to play and I really want to make a name for myself, I've got to do all these little things. Coach Franklin emphasizes that a lot, making sure we're on our P's and Q's." ■ Sitting Down With Redshirt Freshman Linebacker Dominic DeLuca Listed as the second-team Sam linebacker behind veteran Jonathan Sutherland, DeLuca made 15 tackles through Penn State's first seven games, including a career-high 5 stops in the team's home opener against Ohio. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE