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to the way he plays linebacker, then get the hell off the road. When Hull has his pads on, he's pedal- to-the-metal all the time. His teammate Anthony Zettel calls him a "little speed demon." Head-on collisions are Hull's thing, and he's constantly weaving back-and-forth from sideline to sideline – the opposite of what they teach you in driver's ed. As a middle linebacker, though, it's an effective approach. Through the first 10 games of the season, Hull was the con- ference's leading tackler with an average of 11.1 stops per game, a stat that was among the nation's 10 best. All the while, he's been a key component in the country's best rush defense. "Mike Hull is the straw that stirs the drink," defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. "Anybody who knows anything about college football should watch. That guy's really as good a middle line- backer as there is in the country." As unjust as it is, though, he has yet to be honored like one. When the 15 semifinalists were an- nounced in October for the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's best linebacker, Hull wasn't even ac- knowledged, even though he averaged more tackles per game than all but one of the selections. You could almost hear the cries coming from the Lasch Build- ing. They weren't coming from Hull, though. He learned of the news through social media and, at least publicly, took it in stride. "I really don't play for awards or anything like that," he said, humbly like you'd expect. "It doesn't re- ally mean anything to me." The coaches weren't quite so noncha- lant, and they didn't hold back. In recent weeks they've been acting like campaign managers, publicly praising Hull at every opportunity. Offensive line coach Herb Hand took to Twitter. "If a 'defensive award' doesn't include @m_hull4943 as a candidate then the research dept clearly isn't watching any film," he wrote. Hand tweeted it to the attention of @butkusaward, which in the Twittersphere, is like hanging a message on your doorknob. Although he said he didn't care, Hull's play the following weekend suggested otherwise. He made a 19-tackle state- ment against Ohio State and also snagged an interception. Afterward, James Franklin continued to campaign for his star linebacker. Said the coach, "I think he should be on every award list." But he won't be, and it's difficult to figure out why. The oversight becomes even more perplexing when you look at 'Freak injury' sidelines Keiser Senior safety Ryan Keiser underwent a series of operations in late October and early November after suffering what was described as a "freak injury" during practice Oct. 23. After missing the Ohio State game, Penn State announced that Keiser would miss the remainder of the season, as would senior running back Zach Zwinak, who was injured on the opening kickoff against the Buckeyes. It was later revealed that Keiser had suffered a broken rib that had punctured his bowel, an injury that re- quired close medical atten- tion. He was admitted to the Hershey Medical Center and was expected to stay there until mid-November. Head coach James Franklin said he has stayed in close contact with Keiser's family throughout the recovery process, and Franklin, along with some of Keiser's team- mates, visited him while he was at the hospital. "Ryan's family has our complete support," Franklin said. "I've talked to his mother, talked to Ryan. Our trainers and doctors have been in constant contact or have been involved every step of the way." Keiser, who majors in kinesiology, intends to become a physical education teacher. He also aspires to coach. Franklin said after the injury that he and his staff have considered hiring Keiser at Penn State following his graduation. "I think so highly of him [that] I talked about trying to get him to work for us in some capacity," Franklin said. "He's one of those kids that everyone in our pro- gram respects. You spend enough time with him and he makes you want to be a better person, a better coach. He's in our prayers, and his family is in our prayers and we can't get him back soon enough." – T.O. OUT OF ACTION Keiser was hurt during practice on Oct. 23. The in- jury brought an end to his playing career with the Nit- tany Lions. Photo by Tim Owen

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