Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/541265
fans as Penn State has is just amazing to me. It's really cool." Godwin continued to pick up a few catches each game through the course of the regular season, before a nagging injury to team-leading wideout DaeSean Hamil- ton thrust him into an even bigger role in the Pinstripe Bowl. Knowing his number would be called more frequently than usu- al, the speedy 6-foot-2, 206-pound wide- out didn't disappoint. He made a big im- pression with his first catch of the game, racing past Boston College cornerback Manuel Asprilla and pulling in a deep pass from Hackenberg. After shrugging off As- prilla's desperate tackle attempt, he pranced into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown to put the Nittany Lions ahead 7- 0 in the first quarter. Godwin went on to catch six more passes and finished the game with 140 receiving yards, leading the team in both categories in one of Penn State's best of- fensive performances of the year. With his sophomore season fast approaching, Godwin sees that performance as a preview of things to come. It's been the catalyst behind the intense and intricate preparations that have defined the Nittany Lions' 2015 off- season. Said Godwin, "I definitely think that was kind of a sign of what could be, but we have to take the time to put in the work in order for us to get there." Having already adjusted to the speed of the game – it was admittedly one of his biggest hurdles upon arriving at Penn State – Godwin and fellow wideouts Saeed Blacknall, DeAndre Thompkins and Geno Lewis have shifted their collective focus to technique. They are looking to perfect the details that receivers coach Josh Gattis has emphasized in practice. Those details will help them complete the transition to the college game, in which great athleti- cism by itself is rarely enough to ensure success. "From the first day, he started preaching his technique to us and from that day on, I think everybody understood that we really have to work like we're here for a reason and we have to earn our spot and earn our keep," Godwin said. "You can't just rely on what you did in high school, just being one of the best athletes on the field. You have to really work to master your craft and refine your tech- nique in order to be successful. So I think adjusting to the speed of the game al- lowed me to be able to really focus on working on my technique and just trying 2 0 1 5 P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L CATCHING FIRE Af- ter playing a sup- porting role during the regular season, Godwin came on strong in the Pin- stripe Bowl, leading the Nittany Lions in receiving in a 31-30 victory overtime vic- tory over Boston College. Photo by Steve Manuel