Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/491635
B L U E - W H I T E G A M E C O V E R S T O R Y hristian Hackenberg is back. The aches and bruises he col- lected through the course of the 2014 season have healed. So, too, have the tensions and stresses. As he steps onto the turf at Holuba Hall a couple of days into spring practice, he appears healthy, poised and eager to get to work. Having turned 20 years old on Valentine's Day, the junior quarterback is a returning captain and the guy at Penn State this year. He knows as much and wears it with dignity. Owning the attention and respect of seemingly everyone in the building, Hackenberg carries himself with a level of con-dence worthy of his experiences the past two seasons. "It was one of those things that pushed me to the brink, to where I've never really been pushed before at this level," he said, three months removed from an MVP per- formance in the Nittany Lions' 31-30 over- time victory against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. "I feel like it's an experience that I can build on that's going to help me in my football career down the road. It's also going to help me o. the -eld down the road – being able to adjust to ever- changing situations and being able to be a guy who people can rely on in those types of situations." All individual improvements are welcome on a team that is thirsting for players who can set the right tone. But as he comes o. a season of trials and scrutiny unlike any | STILL STANDING After absorbing more than his share of punishment last season, Christian Hackenberg is determined to spearhead an oensive revival this fall C