Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
7 0 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 6 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / letdown and Franklin's firing — Rojas turned to friends and family for sup- port. They filled him with hope for the future. Yes, he had suffered the most significant and frustrating injury of his career, but some of those friends had dealt with injuries of their own and had emerged stronger than before. "They were all on my side," Rojas said. "Just talking to them and knowing that they've gone through it and it would all be worth it at the end of the day was en- couraging. There was something good in here. It sucked in the moment, but looking at the long run is the only thing you could do." It was a nice enough sentiment to latch onto, but traversing that long run would demand even more of Rojas physically. Set for a months-long jour- ney to build back his surgically repaired knee, while trying to maintain his ath- leticism through the rest of his body, Rojas turned to team physical therapist Alex Brownlow to lead his rehabilita- tion. To rediscover a future he believed should have already arrived, Rojas would need to grind. In Brownlow, he found an advocate for a bright future well within his control. "He's been amazing and a blessing. He's motivated me on days I didn't want to do rehab or get up and do the hard stuff," Rojas said. "I'm so thankful for him. He's pushed me through all the hard moments during this process, even to this day. I think it's been amazing." 'I'm Going To Feel Great' Arriving at PSU in December, new head coach Matt Campbell was a wit- ness to that progress. He quickly came to understand what Rojas meant to the Nittany Lions, and to his own efforts to unify a blended roster of Penn State players, Iowa State transfers and portal additions from elsewhere. "Tony has done an unbelievable job," Campbell said. "I don't know if I could be prouder of what his work has looked like, what he's done behind the scenes in terms of both his rehab and leader- ship in our football program." Rojas understands the faith that has been placed in him. He and his team- mates were pulling for a head coaching hire that would allow them to stay at Penn State for the 2026 season. They were made to wait for weeks on end as the university conducted a national search. While many players ultimately decided to move on, Rojas' preference had always been to stay in Happy Valley. Why? "The family aspect, not just football. I want to bring my kids back when I'm older to the school I played at my whole life," he said. "That's always been in the back in my mind." An initial conversation with Camp- bell made that possibility concrete. "Once I met him, I really thought he was a great guy, and I trusted what he was saying," Rojas said. "He showed "Tony has done an unbelievable job. I don't know if I could be prouder of what his work has looked like, what he's done behind the scenes in terms of both his rehab and leadership in our football program." M A T T C A M P B E L L O N R O J A S Rojas made one of the biggest defensive plays in recent Penn State history when he returned an intercep- tion 59 yards for a touchdown against SMU in the 2024 College Football Playoff. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL