Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
4 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Mack was thrilled when Franklin and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter wel- comed him back. He knew he wasn't guaranteed a starting job on defense or special teams, but after two seasons of college football, he had gained a more ma- ture perspective on how best to advance his career. "The lesson I learned was not to try and speed up your process," Mack said. "A lot of people get caught up in being a top recruit and instantly making an impact in college. What I realized is that your coaches are going to put you in the best situation for you. I didn't see that fully as a freshman, but once I got to Alabama, I realized it. I realized that Coach Dex and the rest of the coaches honestly did put me in the best situation. "It also showed me that the grass isn't always greener on the other side." 'Blessed To Be Back' While he made an immediate impact in the kicking game, Mack didn't emerge on top at safety during preseason camp. Just before the season began, Franklin revealed that redshirt freshman Antoine Belgrave- Shorter had won the job. It was a surprise to many observers, and while it might have seemed like another blow to Mack's career prospects, he viewed the decision as a challenge rather than a setback. "There wasn't any point in being an- gry," Mack said at the time. "Antoine is a baller, so I wasn't shocked at all that he became the starter. … My head is focused on contributing to the team as much as I can. And if that's me starting or me not starting, it doesn't matter to me as long as we're winning." Belgrave-Shorter played 34 snaps against Nevada and 29 against Florida In- ternational the following week, totaling 5 tackles. But Franklin didn't think Penn State's defense was playing fast enough, so Mack was promoted ahead of the Li- ons' nonconference finale against Vil- lanova. It was the break he'd been wait- ing for, and the patience he had displayed during the first few games of the season was one of the factors that had impressed PSU's staff. "I give King a ton of credit," Franklin said. "He didn't transfer back here to not have a starting role. A lot of guys, when that happens, they go in the tank. He was the total opposite. He was living in the Lasch Building with a huge smile on his face. He's got great energy, attacks spe- cial teams. He really played well on special teams and just worked his way back into it. "I think there's still a step that he can take and that we can take there. But more than anything, I was just proud of how he handled it." Mack made 4 tackles against Villanova and 2 in Penn State's 30-24 overtime loss to Oregon. The battle between him and Belgrave-Shorter is likely to continue for the duration of the season, with both players working to develop a more thor- ough understanding of the defensive system that first-year coordinator Jim Knowles has installed. Through the first half of Penn State's regular season, Mack was fifth on the team with 24 tackles. His 71.8 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus ranked eighth among active PSU players with more than 60 snaps. Mack said Knowles' willingness to sit down with players and answer questions one-on-one has helped speed his devel- opment, as has the year he spent in the SEC. Mostly, though, he's happy to be in an environment where he feels he can reach his full potential. "I'm definitely blessed to be back," he said. "Thank God that Coach Franklin welcomed me with in open arms and al- lowed me to come back in and actually make an impact." ■ After backing up Antoine Belgrave-Shorter in Penn State's first two games, Mack was promoted to the starting lineup against Villanova. MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS