Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M had some injuries, so later in the sea- son I was ready to go in whenever they needed me. At the same time, I had to be patient, just in case they didn't put me in. It was a little frustrating sometimes, but I had to keep in mind that the team's goal is more important than mine." Ioane's background is one with exten- sive family ties. He is one of nine chil- dren — five of them are boys — and he keeps in touch with them as much as his schedule allows. His connections to his Polynesian heritage are sparse in central Pennsyl- vania. One unlikely source, though, is Penn State special teams coordinator Stacy Collins. The Nittany Lions' diminutive fireball assistant coach has West Coast roots, having grown up in Oregon and coached in the Pacific Northwest for much of his career. That coaching experience has familiarized him with the Polynesian culture. Collins played a major part in identi- fying Ioane as a late addition in the Nit- tany Lions' 2022 recruiting class, and he helped with the player's transition to the East Coast. "Man, he talks to me a lot like he's another Polynesian guy," Ioane joked. "He's been around a lot of Polynesian guys, so me and him have a really good connection. It's pretty fun, he'll come up to me and be like, 'What's up, Uce?' Which is like, 'What's up, brother?' "At first, I was thinking, how do you know that? Then he told me about all the stuff at Boise State and on the West Coast." Backup Role Takes Shape With his first year behind him, Ioane is hoping to break into the rotation on the interior as a redshirt freshman. He claimed experience at both guard posi- tions as well as center and went into camp in early August battling with redshirt senior Sal Wormley for playing time at right guard. The two have balanced be- ing competitors with a mentor-mentee relationship. "I try to keep everything toxic out of that. When it's time to learn, I learn what I can from him. When it's time to