Blue White Illustrated

When offensive tackle Andrew Nelson learned that he would be unable to par- ticipate in spring practice, it seemed at first like a major setback. The redshirt freshman had been pen- ciled in as the starting right tackle on an offensive line that had been depleted by graduation, among other things. Off- season reps were a crucial part of his projected develop- ment. But with the cartilage in his left knee still healing – "My knee was just a little tweaked," he said – he was held off the field. But the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder was determined to use his time productively, even with the injury. So, in between re- hab, weightlifting sessions and school, Nelson spent hours studying film, pay- ing particular attention to the linemen's audibles and calls, hand signals, foot- work and technique. "Because I wasn't getting those reps on the field, I needed to spend more time in the film room, studying my plays," he said. "I definitely spent a lot of time watching film, going over Van- derbilt's film, just going over the of- fense because I couldn't get those reps." Most of the film that Nelson studied came from Vanderbilt's recent seasons, and he paid special attention to one of- fensive lineman in particular: Wes John- son. Johnson was an All-Southeastern Conference player under the guidance of offensive line coach Herb Hand, making a school-record 51 career starts for the Commodores. As of mid-Au- gust, he was battling for a roster spot in Pittsburgh after the Steelers chose him in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. "He was one of Coach Hand's favorite players, and I really took a liking to him and try to watch him because it's the same offense that we're going to be run- ning now," Nelson explained. "I wanted to see how a player could excel in this offense. Watching Wes really helped that." With the season about to begin, it's time to see how the film study pays off. Nelson was limited at the start of pre- season practice. Although he said his knee was feeling "fine," the coaching staff eased him back into action. When Penn State began practice Aug. 4, he wore a light blue jersey, indicating that he was to see a limited workload. It was- n't too long ago – just this summer, ac- tually – that Nelson was still experienc- ing discomfort in the knee. "I think for a while I was feeling a little upset [because] I felt my knee wasn't 100 percent," he said. "But lately I've just been trusting God that this was a part of his plan for my life. There wasn't a point when I felt like I was 100 per- cent, but I'm pushing through and feel- ing better." Nelson is anticipating he'll be ready go by week one, as are his teammates and coaches, and they're planning accord- ingly. Nelson especially. Even if he's limited in practice, he is confident that he'll be able to handle the starting job due to the mental reps he took this off-season in the film room. One of the things that Nelson learned from studying Vanderbilt's previous of- fensive lines is that Penn State's linemen will have to be quick thinkers. They change protections before the snap; they change their call according to certain packages, and if it looks as though there's a blitz coming, everyone had better know it. It's all about com- munication and understanding the schemes and concepts. Said Nelson, "There's more responsibility on the of- fensive line than there ever has been as far making different calls to blitzes and alignments." Due to Hand's emphasis on film study, Nelson believes he and his teammates will be ready to handle it. Although they might not have a lot of depth on the of- fensive line, they hope that their prepa- ration will help counteract some of the issues. "When we see different looks from the defense, Coach Hand has prepared us with the tools to play against certain fronts and different blitzes," Nelson said. "That helps us adjust." – TIM OWEN Nelson preps for debut season on Lions' line part was no problem. Now, there are pass protections and speci:c techniques and fundamentals that play in, but you would rather have to say 'whoa' than say 'go.' I didn't have to say 'go' with him." By the end of spring, Gaia was much more comfortable at his new position. Not only had he gotten 15 days of intensive on-:eld instruction, he'd also been able to go home at night and compare notes with Dowrey. His dedication was evident to the coaching sta;. Said Hand, "He was a completely di;erent player from day one to day 15." Elsewhere on the line, the Lions will most likely start redshirt junior Angelo Mangiro at center, with redshirt fresh- man Andrew Nelson and redshirt junior Donovan Smith at tackle. Of those play- ers, Smith is the only one who could be described as a known commodity. He made 20 starts the previous two seasons and is being counted on to provide lead- ership. Hand has asked the soft-spoken veteran to "ratchet up" that part of his game. Mangiro saw considerable action as a backup last season, filling in at center and at both guard spots. It was the second season in a row in which he played in all NELSON

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