Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/557480
K I C K O F F I S S U E what he can to prepare for that inevitable NFL future – whether it begins in 2016 or '17, whether he's the No. 1 overall draft pick, as some television scouts have prog- nosticated or not. In addition to improving his professional outlook, those prepara- tions should help him become a better quarterback for the 2015 Nittany Lions. In July, Hackenberg took a couple cross- country trips with the goal of networking with other premier signal-callers and also refining his skills. First, he returned to the Elite 11 quar- terback competition in Beaverton, Ore., at which he was a top performer as a high school recruit three years ago. This time he served as a mentor to those young QBs, a group that included Jake Zembiec of Rochester, N.Y., a four-star prospect who is verbally committed to Penn State's Class of 2016 and is set to enroll in Janu- ary. For both Hackenberg and Zembiec, the biggest perk of the Oregon trip was the opportunity to learn from some of the country's top quarterback coaches. Hackenberg said he was "able to pick Jordan Palmer's brain, able to pick Trent Dilfer's brain – the entire staff out there, all those guys [including] Craig Nall, who backed up [Brett] Favre forever. I was able to pick those guys' brains about what they do, how they teach things. Those are just invaluable little nuggets that some people don't ever tap into." Immediately after Elite 11, Hackenberg traveled to Louisiana for the annual Man- ning Passing Academy, which is one of the nation's best-known high school foot- ball camps hosted by Archie Manning and his Super Bowl-winning sons, Peyton and Eli. There, Hackenberg served as a coun- selor for a week and was able to put what he learned from Palmer, Dilfer and Nall to the test by teaching young quarter- backs. "It was a blast," he said. "That was more coaching [than Elite 11]. We had a lot of younger kids, so we coached those groups. I also was able to talk to a lot of [other college quarterbacks] from across the coun- try, like [Mississippi State's] Dak Prescott, [USC's] Cody Kessler, [Oklahoma's] Trevor Knight – all really good dudes, all guys who have been successful." In addition to getting out and about and learning from other accomplished throwers this summer, Hackenberg has focused on himself and his physical health. He has not missed a game in his two-year Penn State career, and he's hoping that hardiness continues into year No. 3. He's certainly not taking it for granted. Hackenberg used some of his physical education credits this past summer on a yoga class, and he's since utilized the stretch workouts and lessons learned in the hope that they will further enhance his staying power throughout the rest of his collegiate career – whether that's one more year or two – and then beyond. "Flexibility is durability, and [yoga] deals with injuries and injury prevention," Hackenberg said. It's all about "making sure you're strong and flexible throughout all your motions, making sure things bend but don't break." ■ BACK TO WORK Hackenberg takes part in the Nittany Lions' first practice of presea- son camp. Photo by Steve Manuel