Blue White Illustrated

Nyeem Wartman-White was born in Philadelphia and spent the Erst 15 years of his life there before moving to the Scranton area, where he went on to be- come an All-State football prospect at Valley View High. So this week's visit to Lincoln Financial Field is bringing back some vivid memories. "I remember at some points when I lived in Philadelphia, I could actually see the Linc from where I lived," Wartman-White recalled. "I remember never playing a football game in my life, but I knew I loved football at that time. It was a dream to play in the Linc, and look at me now, eight, nine years later, moved from Philly and I'm playing for Penn State, about to go play in the Linc. It's truly a blessing, and all glory goes to God for that." Wartman-White will be the starting middle linebacker Saturday when Penn State opens its season against Temple. The redshirt junior is coming oA a 2014 season in which he Enished second on the team with 75 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and an intercep- tion. He's also coming oA an oA- season position change, having played outside linebacker during his Erst two seasons. The move has forced him to make a series of adjustments, not just in how he handles his on-Eeld responsibil- ities but in how he prepares for games. "When we have a walk-through, I make sure I project my voice, make sure I'm on top of my P's and Q's about the defense, make sure that I'm locked in, no matter what, regardless. Just relax, up-tempo. Just make sure I have the same demeanor every time I approach my defense so they know what they're going to get," he said. "One thing I have to change about myself is being more vocal for my teammates and having a demeanor that's consistent so that they know what they're going to get out of me." Wartman-White is stepping into a high-proEle role that was Elled more than ably by his predecessor. Mike Hull led the Big Ten as a senior with 140 tackles and as of this writing was still in contention for a roster spot with the Miami Dolphins aFer sign- ing a free-agent contract in May. Coach James Franklin admitted this week that he knew going into the oA-season that replacing Hull "was going to be a chal- lenge." But when it comes to the fulEll- ment of that challenge, he doesn't see Wartman-White bearing sole responsi- bility. "I think Nyeem has done a great job," Franklin said, "but it's [about] the whole group. It's [Jason] Cabinda, it's [Bran- don] Bell, it's Nyeem, it's Von Walker, it's Gary Wooten. It's all those guys who are going to play and factor in for us. To think you're going to take a Mike Hull out of the equation and replace him with this one speciEc person and replace the im- pact and the production that he had, I don't think that's realistic, and we haven't really approached it that way. So overall, I've been pleased." Although Wartman-White might not be called on to equal Hull's prodigious tackling numbers, he has some attributes that make well-suited to the congestion in the middle of the Eeld – perhaps even better suited than his predecessor. Hull played at about 230 pounds last year, while Wartman-White is 20 pounds heavier. And he's not the only heavy- duty player in the Lions' new-look line- backer corps. "Nyeem is about a cheeseburger away from 250 pounds," Franklin said. "And then there's Cabinda. They're big, strong guys in there, where Mike was able to get a lot of his stuA done with his movement, his change of direction and his quickness and his instincts. So I think in some ways between the tackles we may even be more stacked." No matter how stacked the Nittany Lions may be this year, Wartman-White said he expects to have a few jitters when he emerges from the tunnel on Saturday. He's never played on the Owls' home Eeld, but he's attended a few NFL games there and knows its eAect. "There's something about the Linc that gets me," he said. "I don't know, maybe because it's my hometown and it's my fa- vorite team, the Eagles. I'm going to have to calm myself down. I know I'm going to be a little emotional. A bunch of my fam- ily is going to be in front of me. But I know I'm going to come ready, straight mindset, ready for Temple, ready with the game plan. I'm going to have to take a step back, but that's going to be in the pregame. I think once the kickoA starts, I'm going to be OK." M A T T H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Home sweet home Wartman-White ready for his return to the City of Brotherly Love Steve Manuel HELLO WAVE Wartman- White was born and lived his first 15 years in Philadelphia. S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 15

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