Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Robinson had been a linebacker at Maryland but moved to defensive end when he joined the Nittany Lions last year. He ended up receiving the team's highest defensive grade (90.6) from Pro Football Focus. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE P enn State redshirt senior Adisa Isaac smiled as he sat down at a podium inside of Lucas Oil Sta- dium in late July. Two years earlier, in late July 2021, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native was set to break out after playing in 24 games and mak- ing some noise in the first two years of his tenure with the Nittany Lions. At least that's what the public thought. Inside the pro- gram, it was well known that the defensive end would not suit up that fall due to an injury he had suffered while training on his own, apart from the team. It was later revealed to be a torn Achil- les tendon. Some players never return to form following a setback like that. But Isaac would not let it prevent him from getting back on the field. He spent the entire fall and winter rehabbing the injury with an eye toward returning in 2022. "When you're rehabbing, it's a dif- ferent monster," Isaac said. "You're trying to get back to where you were at — not trying to im- prove, but trying to get back. There were a lot of highs, a lot of lows, a lot of hard work, a lot of thoughts in my head. It was just a wild whirlwind of emotion." The intense work was worth it. Isaac came roaring back to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022. He amassed 28 tackles, in- cluding a team-high 11 for loss, as well as 4 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries. Making those numbers even more impressive, Isaac wasn't fully recovered from his injury, by his estimation. The success he enjoyed last fall made many observers wonder what the 13-game starter could do if he were completely healthy. An Achilles injury can take away a player's explosive- ness and prevent him from returning to his prior level. Isaac, however, has put in hours of work to get back to that point and thinks he may finally be there. With the 2023 season about to begin, he wants to show out. It's why that smile rarely left his face when he spoke to re- porters at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. "I've been waiting for these types of days, where I feel like I'm as close to my old self as I've been," he said. "I feel like I've gotten stronger, faster and more explo- sive. … I just want to fine-tune my techniques and put it all together. I want to put on a great show."