Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 OPENING SHOT LEARNING THE ROPES Before the temperatures climbed into the 90s on July 1 in State College, the Penn State football team sweated through one final work- out. This one, though, looked a little different. Gathering as leadership teams in front of fans at Holuba Hall and on the Lasch Football Building practice fields, the Nittany Lions held their 23rd annual Lift for Life. Presented by Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes, the annual event raises money and awareness in the fight against rare diseases. This year, between the team's fundrais- ing efforts and a $20,000 match from new head coach Matt Campbell, Penn State raised $40,000. Along the way, the Nittany Lions pushed themselves to exhaustion while com- peting against one another before a brief sum- mer break. Meeting with reporters afterward, first-year strength coach Reid Kagy discussed the team's progress, starting with redshirt senior quar- terback Rocco Becht, shown here taking part in the tug-of-war competition. Kagy said the Lions' starting quarterback improved in several key areas heading into his first and only season with the Nittany Lions after transferring from Iowa State. "Is Rocco getting faster? He is. Is he going to run a route? No, but he's going to run," Kagy said. "Being faster, he's going to run the ball. So, he's getting faster, he's getting stronger, he's working." After spending much of his final campaign with the Cyclones held together by tape be- fore eventually undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Becht is an indispensable player for the Nittany Lions. He's the leader Campbell wanted to help guide the team through its offseason roster overhaul, and the apprecia- tion for what he brings is evident throughout the program. Becht was limited in spring practice while recovering from the procedure to repair his left (non-throwing) shoulder, but Kagy said he's confident the veteran signal-caller is building the physical resiliency to have a strong perfor- mance this fall. "He's one of the toughest guys on the entire team," Kagy said. "What he did last year for our team was incredible. What he's going to do here is going to be incredible. "Rocco's a leader and Rocco is a team guy. His toughness bleeds into the rest of this team. And from Day 1, even coming back from injury, he made an impact in any way he could. And obviously, this summer he's been incredible." — Nate Bauer PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS