Blue White Illustrated

in spring ball. ... Everybody is so excited to get back on the field. They want to get better on the football field. I know my role here. My job is to prepare them off the field so that Coach [James] Franklin and his staff can put that on the field. It's all about what you do on the field, and I think they've fully embraced that concept and are really excited to see how much better football players they can become with their physical improve- ment." The kickoff of spring practice won't mean an end of those grueling weightlifting sessions. Through the Blue-White Game April 18, Galt will continue his work similar to an in-sea- son routine. It'll be shaken up some and scheduled around on-field practice times, but he is determined to keep pushing the pace and developing Penn State's youth-laden roster. As he said, after all, that is his job. Last fall, PSU's football players devot- ed more time to in-season weight train- ing than they had in previous seasons, including workout sessions the Sunday after every game. The results were no- ticeable. Galt will employ a similar technique during spring practice, because he said when "we trained hard all year-round – all season-round – that really showed. We started up at a much higher level this year than what we had last year." He's confident that system will con- tinue to pay dividends in the coming months. "It'll be the same approach," Galt said. "That has been a pleasant surprise. It's a big adjustment to play football and then the next day come and have to lift heavy, if you've been hitting. They did a great job all year, so they know what to expect now. It's not [only] an in-season pro- gram. We'll do it all through spring ball." Development. That's what it's all about at this time of year, anyway, isn't it? It's why media are invited to attend winter workout sessions, when football players are in shorts and T-shirts in- stead of helmets and shoulder pads. Why there's so much excitement sur- rounding a teammate inside a squat rack, 500-plus stacked on his shoulders. Just as all teams are undefeated prior to the season opener, all players are ma- jor contributors before the depth chart's been established. Everyone inside that weight room sees an opportunity for playing time. With each rep they pump out, every sprint they run, they grow closer to realizing their goal. Then, when someone like Dowrey puts up 545 pounds, five times, it boosts the outlook for an offensive line that strug- gled through most of last season. When running backs Akeel Lynch and Nick Scott each run a the 10-yard NFL shut- tle in 4.15 seconds – which would have been good for a top-10 time among all RBs at this year's NFL Combine – it gives even more hope for an embattled rushing attack. It's also why 70,000-plus fans might filter into Beaver Stadium in late April for a glorified practice scrimmage. Fans Nearly 50 members of the Penn State football team welcomed families from the Four Diamonds Foundation to the Lasch Football Building on Feb. 21 to celebrate the annual IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon and support the fight against pediatric cancer. For many of the Nittany Lion players in attendance, the annual THON weekend served as a reminder of why they don the Blue and White each fall. "When you talk about Penn State, this is really what it's all about," offen- sive lineman Andrew Nelson said. "Everyone knows someone or a family affected by cancer, and for us, it's a great feeling knowing we can just help make their day." To kick off the event, which was re- cently rechristened the Explorers Pro- gram, each player was introduced and paired with a THON family. Offensive line coach Herb Hand stole the show with an original freestyle rap that brought the crowd of close to 200 to its feet. Sophomore tight end Adam Breneman, appearing completely healthy after missing the 2014 season with a knee injury, danced alone in front of the crowd as Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" blasted in the back- ground. The families were given an exclusive tour of the Lasch Building where they were greeted by Hand and defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. Hand and running backs coach Charles Huff high-fived everyone who walked through the halls. As one Four Dia- monds parent put it, "These guys have so much energy, it's unbeliev- able." The largest student-run philanthro- py in the world, THON raised $13.03 million this year, bringing its all-time total to $128 million. Three Penn State student-athletes were among the 708 dancers who participated in this year's THON: Elyse Archambault of the women's golf team and Laura Gebhart and Bethany Mink of the field hockey team. To help keep the dancers entertained – they were on their feet for 46 con- secutive hours – athletes from a num- ber of Penn State varsity squads took part in the Pep Rally team dance com- petition. The men's ice hockey team won the dance-off with a performance that featured umbrellas, squirt guns, F O O T B A L L THON families enjoy visit with PSU players, coaches

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