Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD TIM OWEN | OWEN.TIM.BWI@ G M A I L . C O M Distracted by the future I t's normally my favorite part of Senior Day. This year, even though I was on the sidelines, I barely even realized that it was happening. You know the ceremony that I'm talking about. Before the game, the seniors are individually introduced by name. This year, 17 walked out of the tunnel and grabbed a handshake or hug from Bill O'Brien before they raced through a gauntlet of photographers, cheerleaders, Blue Band members, teammates and coaches – in that order – until they reached the awaiting arms of their families. Or at least that's what I've seen in the videos. No helmets. No facemasks. Nothing to block the passion worn on their faces. Pure, unadulterated pride – not just from the players, but from their parents and siblings, too. Even the student managers got their names announced and took part in the class photo – the image that will forever commemorate the seniors of 2013. "Obviously it's emotional, the last game in Beaver Stadium, said senior " captain and fullback Pat Zerbe. "It's emotional for all of us. " But for me, it was all background noise, as unfortunate as that is. During the Nebraska pregame ceremony – while the seniors were basking in their final moments in Beaver Stadium – my attention was fixated on the future. Literally. Penn State hosted its largest recruiting crowd of the season – upwards of 100 prospects – for its game against the Cornhuskers. Most of them lined the sidelines before kickoff, during the cheers and tears of the Senior Day ceremony. The mass of high schoolers was so overwhelming that it was almost deafening. So while Dean DeVore, the voice of Beaver Stadium, called the names of each graduating Nittany Lion – irreplaceable players like Glenn Carson, DaQuan Jones and John Urschel – I was snapping pictures ad nauseam of nearly 100 high schoolers. For a publication like this one that is driven by recruiting, those are the kind of days that help keep the pages filled. Some of the recruits who were on hand will sign with University X in February as members of the Class of 2014, but many were from the '15 and '16 classes. Some were even younger. And the majority of them have serious interest in Penn State. So when you read BWI's recruiting updates over the next few years, and see photos of Ricky DeBerry, Richie Petitbon, Nick Conner, Rashan Gary, Devante Brooks (if you aren't familiar with these names yet, don't worry – it's only a matter of time) they probably were taken prior to the Nebraska game. In order to be certain that we're stocked up for the future, I wasn't able to pay attention to the present, which at the time was the seniors' pregame introduction. That's too bad, but it's also part of the gig. And although O'Brien was the first to greet each senior before he ran out onto the field, at least a part of his mind was set on the future, too. Always is. He emphasized multiple times how he wanted to send his seniors off with a home victory, mostly because this class – in addition to last year's – was the glue that helped keep the program together in July 2012 while NCAA sanctions tried acting as the solvent. "They'll be an important part of Penn State history, O'Brien said. "I would " say that those two senior classes will be a big part of it." Although the Lions fell in overtime, 23-20, Petitbon, an offensive line prospect who was in attendance, still called it a "special game. " Penn State hosted four official visitors, one of whom – Tarow Barney – committed afterward, and a few of his top underclass recruits were there, too. O'Brien knows that if he's going to reach his goals, those are the athletes he needs to sign. Petitbon is a perfect example. The four-star junior has more than a dozen offers, including from schools like Alabama and Ohio State. His visit for the Nebraska game was his third to PSU. And while O'Brien was certainly focused on sending his seniors off with a win, he met with Petitbon and his family the Friday beforehand. Like we did at BWI, the Penn State coaching staff obviously had an eye on the future, too. And it appears that it's paying off. "Friday was really an unbelievable day," Petitbon told BWI after his visit. "It was also the first time my mom was up at Penn State, and she loved it. She was really happy, enjoyed meeting everyone." The next day, O'Brien led his seniors onto the field for the final time. Looking back after the game, it was a difficult moment for O'Brien because, he said, "this senior class stuck with this program and stuck with this university during a very tough time. I think people need to remember that. This senior class will go down as just as special a senior class as last year's senior class. They could have left; they chose to stay. " Exactly why I wish I could have at least paid attention to their Senior Day ceremony. But, hey, we all have an eye on the future. O'Brien, too. And the fuI ture looks bright.

• Cover