Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/180984
Running down a dream Ryan Keiser and the run-ons who follow his lead are making their mark on PSU | R yan Keiser has been on quite a roll these past few years. It was his interception that gave the ball to Selinsgrove High late in the fourth quarter of its matchup against Manheim Central in the 2009 PIAA Class AAA championship game. And while that was a thrilling moment in itself, Keiser's night was about to get a whole lot better. After the Seals took possession with less than five minutes to play, he caught two passes for first downs, and the team marched 72 yards for a touchdown in a 10-7 victory. Keiser's final high school game was also the biggest game in school history. So… where do you go from there? What comes next after you've brought your hometown its first state football championship? After the cheers from the victory parade have faded? After the Big 33 coaches have added you to their roster? What do you do when your dream has come true? If you're Keiser, you move on to dream No. 2 – the one in which you find yourself playing in Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoons. After considering his options, the All-State defensive back decided to attend Penn State as an invited walk-on. There were a few season-ticket holders in his family, and he'd been attending a game or two each year since he was a kid. Those factors – familiarity and fandom – made it a pretty easy choice. "This is where I wanted to come my whole life, Keiser said. "So when I had " the opportunity, this is pretty much where I had my mind set. It ended up being my best option, so I jumped on it. And I'm very thankful for it. " Keiser is now a redshirt junior safety for the Nittany Lions and is sharing playing time with Malcolm Willis. He's also a special teams fixture as a member of the kick return and kick coverage teams and as holder on field goals and extra points. He's developed into a six-tool player, and given the Lions' sanction-driven need for multi-taskers, it should come as no surprise that Bill O'Brien put him on scholarship last year. Nor should it come as any surprise that Keiser was deeply appreciative of the coach's decision, calling it "a blessing. " With scholarship in hand, Keiser is no longer, technically speaking, a member of Penn State's run-on program. But he remains the embodiment of that program, in that he did exactly what O'Brien wants his run-ons to do now that Penn State is grappling with the effects of the NCAA's scholarship reductions. Keiser followed his dream to play for Pennsylvania's flagship football program, paid his own way initially, worked hard in practice and in the weight room and hustled his way up the depth chart. And now he's helping the team in a variety of capacities. "He's an improved football player, and it was a great day last year when we were able to put him on scholarship, because