Blue White Illustrated

Boston College Pregame (Pinstripe Bowl)

Penn State Sports Magazine

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Top of the route is so important. We talk about it all the time. That's where wide receivers have a chance to be special. It's how they get into the route and out of the route to create separation. Let's be honest, all those things are magnified because of what we talked about earlier up front. The more time we have to hold the ball, the more time you have to work the route and work the defender. One thing affects the other, so that's where eliminating any type of wasted movement at every position is critical. With wide receivers, that's false starts. It's false starts at any position. It could be as simple as you get in your stance and your back foot is like this, and your top foot is kind of bent in be- cause maybe their stance is narrow and they're trying to give themselves a bet- ter chance to have balance. But then with the snap of the ball they straighten that foot out. Or they're standing too upright and they drop down to get started. It's all of those little things that may be the difference in catching the 50-yard bomb in the air or having it just come off your fingertips. It's making sure you get to the right depth in your routes. It's getting open as quickly as you possibly can to help our offensive line and our quarterbacks out. It's all of those things, and we try to do that at every single position. Eliminating the wasted movement. Eliminating the false steps, and that's at every single position, and definitely wide receivers as well. You've been doing a lot of in-home recruiting visits. What is that process like for you when you go into some- body's house and they open their doors to you? What do you try to tell them? Good question. First of all, we've been all over the place. I think two days ago I was in Connecticut in the morning, going to schools. Flew back for practice. Practiced, got done with practice, flew back and did home visits. That's pretty much how it's been on practice days trying to do both, especially what we call the coordinator practices, where all the assistants are on the road. It's my- self, offense, defense, special teams co- ordinators here kind of doing practice with the graduate assistants. But the home visits are very, very im- portant to me for a number of reasons. I want to be able to go into the school and pay respect to the high school coach, pay respect to the community. I think it's very, very important that you do that. I also think it helps you under- stand the young man. Same reason for the home [visit]. I want to go into the home and pay respect to the family. I think it also really helps you. You watch the film, you see the transcripts, you talk to the coaches. You talk to the cus- todians, you talk to the opposing coaches in the area. You're trying to get as much information as you can. But I think it's really helpful to break bread with people and see their background and where they come from. It gives you a better understanding of who the young man is and what his background is, whatever challenges he's had to over- come. Whether it's a two-parent home, a single-parent home, whether it's a guardian, whatever it may be. All those things are important. Because as you know, the relationship aspect is so im- portant to us. Our leadership is rela- tionship-based. Everything we do is about relationships. D E C E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 13 That's right...If you're a parent of a current PSU student or a member of the Penn State Alumni Association, this offer is for you! Come stay with our Lion Country Lodging family and receive a 15% discount on your stay each time you visit. It's simple to get started. Go to lioncountrylodging.com, click the "Parent" or "Alumni" icon on the home page and register. :H¶OOVHQGDQHPDLOFRQ¿UPDWLRQWR\RXWRTXDOLI\IRUWKH 15% discount at any of our hotels listed below. ID for Alumni: 8SRQDUULYDOVKRZ\RXURI¿FLDOPSU Alumni Association Card. ID for Parents: We will send you an ID card to use. Penn State Fans ...Get 15% Off your hotel stay! lioncountrylodging.com CARLISLE, PA CARLISLE, PA CARLISLE, PA

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