Blue White Illustrated

> > them do a lot of stu;: get out of bed early, do a little bit of schoolwork and then go work out." A 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive tackle for Penn State's top-rated defense, Austin recalls the house rule fondly. Looking back, he wouldn't have had it any other way. This season, Johnson has clogged up the interior with his massive presence while terrorizing opposing o;ensive linemen, running backs and quarterbacks with his light-footed agility. The redshirt sopho- more has been the epicenter of the Nittany Lions' defensive success. Wanting nothing more than to excel for his family, his school and his future, John- son can trace his breakout 2014 campaign to the parents who made :nancial sacri:ces and were a constant source of encour- agement throughout his life – on the :eld and o;. "My family motivates me the most, be- cause I'm a big family person," he said. "My dad is 66 years old and still working. My mom is still working, and I feel like they shouldn't have to work. "They're the type of people who are going to work either way, but I feel like if I do what I need to do, they'll be better o;. I'd rather do my thing and not have them worry about a single thing." At 20 years old, Johnson has done every- thing within his power to put himself in just such a position. He has played in every game since his redshirt freshman debut last season and has quickly accu- mulated 54 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and three fumble recoveries. The statistics really aren't the story, though. Watch the Nittany Lions' defense closely, and the exceptional performances of ends Deion Barnes and C.J. Olaniyan, All-Big Ten tackle Anthony Zettel and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year Mike Hull are readily apparent. Johnson has played an integral role in their success, but it's not the kind of role that jumps o; the screen. He's the one being double-teamed amid the chaos at the line of scrimmage, taking on multiple blockers so that others can make plays. "He may not get the stats that maybe our linebacker or our other defensive line- men are getting, but a lot of it is because he's the cause of it," head coach James Franklin said earlier this season. "I think he's got a chance to continue to be a special player for us, and we're going to need him to be. When you can dominate the line of scrimmage on the defensive line or the o;ensive line, you have a chance to be successful." Penn State's defensive line enters the Pinstripe Bowl having completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in school history. The Nittany Lions finished first in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing defense, surrendering only 84.8 yards per game. They allowed only 269.8 total yards per game, ranking No. 2 in the country. And in the defensive category that matters most – points allowed – Penn State finished eighth nationally with an average of 17.7 per game. Factor in its per-game averages of 7.3 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, and it's clear this group was impenetrable and opportunis- tic. Johnson was crucial to the line's suc- cess. With help from his teammates and two new coaches who made superb de- buts – defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and defensive line coach Sean Spencer – he said the game seemed to come more naturally to him this season. "For the most part, I've always played that way, but it's just something that you have to get used to," he said. "I guess when you get older, that's when it starts to come to you, because it's just how you have to play." Starting all 12 games this season, John- son learned to play fast and instinctively. He displayed the awareness of a veteran upperclassman, and his performance in the middle of the Nittany Lions' powerful defense has given rise to hopes that his ambitious long-term goals are well within reach. That's how his entire playing career has gone to this point, though. An unranked three-star prospect by Rivals.com coming out of St. Augustine High in Richland, N.J., Johnson had an offer sheet that included the likes of Vil- lanova, Boston College and Syracuse in addition to Penn State. When then-de- fensive line coach Larry Johnson finally extended an offer at a one-day summer camp between his junior and senior sea- sons, Johnson needed only the drive home before deciding to commit. "This is where I want to be," he told his mother in the car. "This is where I want to go. There's no other place I'd rather be." Of course, everything had changed by the following summer when it was time for Johnson to enroll. Pushed by acquain- tances to reconsider his decision, espe- cially a

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