Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/541265
W hen Robert Windsor looks back on his sophomore year of high school, it's with a sense of amusement. He's now a 6-foot-4, 270-plus-pound defensive tackle, but a few years ago, the native of Fond du Lac, Wis., was anything but. A lanky, overmatched o6ensive line- man, Windsor was just barely scraping by in the varsity lineup, playing a position at which he wasn't totally comfortable. Asked if there were any glimmer of hope that one day he would be playing Division I football, Windsor laughs and says, "I was the farthest thing away." But he continued giving it his all. By the end of the season, although battered and bruised, Windsor had fallen in love with the sport and was determined to 5nd a way to inch closer to his childhood goal. That goal, of course, was playing major college football, speci5cally for the Uni- versity of Wisconsin. Said Windsor, "I al- ways imagined myself becoming a Badger and wearing that jersey." A8er his sophomore season he turned to his head coach, Michael Gnewuch, and asked to be guided in that direction. Gnewuch – who says Windsor "is com- mitted to making himself the best player he can be" – had simple advice: never stop. "I went to my coaches, I said, 'Coach, what do I have to do to get where I want to be?' " Windsor said. "We had a good talk. He told me to never take plays o6. That's when I decided I'll never take a play o6 and just play with a motor." As a result, Windsor said, "I worked my ass o6 and I gained a lot more con5dence." He 5nished his junior season with 42 tack- les, 22 tackles for loss and four sacks in nine games and was named a Valley Foot- ball Association South second-team pick. Despite his turnaround, Windsor still wasn't attracting the attention of the colleges atop his wish list. And among the disinter- ested teams were the in-state Badgers. "One of the things that really upset me was that I worked really hard," Windsor said. "I went to [Wisconsin] camps each summer. I went up to [the coaches] and introduced myself, and they pretty much just ignored me and they still ignored me during my senior year. That's why I felt like maybe I didn't get any o6ers until October, because other teams might have [assumed], 'OK, if Wisconsin doesn't want this kid, then there must be something wrong with him.' So that really upset me." Windsor's 5rst o6er 5nally came halfway through his senior season. That o6er was from Illinois, a8er which North Dakota State, New Mexico, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Maryland followed suit. It appeared as though the Illini or Boilermakers would receive his commitment following o7cial visits in December. But around that time, he also began to hear from Penn State. It began with just a few messages over social media. Then in early January, a month before signing day and an hour a8er de- fensive tackle target Christian Wilkins chose Clemson over the Nittany Lions, head coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer were on the phone with Windsor, o6ering him a scholarship and an opportunity unlike his others. Windsor next scheduled an o7cial visit to University Park. However, less than a week before he boarded his plane, the Badgers came calling. With a new sta6 having taken charge in Madison – the coaches who had turned a deaf ear in years prior were o6 to Oregon State – Windsor quickly climbed up the Badgers' recruiting board. An o6er, at last, followed. He said "the Wisconsin o6er was a pretty big deal," but it didn't deter him from traveling east to PSU. And before he le8 to go back home, Windsor had given the Nittany Lions his verbal commitment, leaving behind his dream to play in-state, creating room for a new one to be accomplished more than 700 miles away. "When I got up to Penn State, I just felt like I had a better opportunity to be more successful there because of the defense they run," Windsor said. "They run a 4- 3, and I see myself being a defensive tackle more than an end. "And the coaches there spent a lot more time with me, and I felt a lot more com- fortable around them. Plus, I really like the atmosphere at Penn State." Now that his college career is about to begin, Windsor has no regrets. In fact, he said, "It's nothing but smiles. "It wasn't a di7cult decision. It was a great relief knowing that I had a home, that I had a plan." ■ THE WINDSOR FILE STATS Totaled 56 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a senior, helping Fond du Lac High go 10-2... An- chored a defense that surrendered only 15.3 points per game in 2014... Finished with 42 tackles, including 22 TFL and four sacks in nine games as a junior HONORS Named a three-star recruit, as well as the No. 4 player in Wisconsin by Rivals.com... Received first-team All- State recognition from The Associated Press and the Wis- consin Football Coaches Association Windsor finds the right fit at Penn State | CLICK HERE to see video of Windsor in action.