Blue White Illustrated

T H E 2 0 1 5 S E A S O N especially the individual attention, mean little. When asked if one of his tackles or forced fumbles stands out among the rest of his highlight plays, he points to his sack-and-strip against San Diego State, a play often overlooked as one of his best because it was the 323-pound Austin Johnson who scooped up the ball and lumbered 70 yards for a touchdown. John- son's return stole the spotlight, which was just fine with Nassib. "It was comical, but it was awesome," he said. "That was my favorite one." As he has done most of the season when it comes to having the attention on him, Nassib deflects it to his teammates. "Personally I don't think about stats very much," he said. "The only stats that matter to me are wins and losses at the end of the week. Any success that I have is chalked up to my teammates and my coaches, and it's been a privilege playing with this team." That it has. For someone who keeps his appearances in front of TV cameras and his time with reporters to a minimum – "He doesn't enjoy all of the attention," Shoop said. "He's kind of turned off by it" – Nassib's comments on the surface might seem like an attempt to divert the recognition elsewhere. But, really, they ring true and reveal one of the key factors in Nassib's emergence. For as talented and improved as he has been, his statistical production might not be as outlandish without his supporting cast. Nassib's career has been about seizing the moment and the opportunity. From Bill O'Brien, who famously awarded Nassib a scholarship before his redshirt sopho- more season, to James Franklin, who stood by that decision, Nassib has had coaches who have believed in developing his po- tential. Then, there are his fellow defensive line- men, guys like Johnson and Anthony Zettel, more feared names entering this season. Due to their preseason notoriety, their pro prospects and the disruptions they've caused since then, offensive lines have focused most of their double teams around the tackle tandem, affording the rangy Nassib an opportunity to roam with fewer obstacles in front of him. If he doesn't like the attention being on him, Nassib has got to love this. He knew before the start of spring prac- tice that opposing offensive coordinators would be more worried about the All-Big Ten juggernauts in the middle; they would- n't be nearly as concerned about that for- mer walk-on defensive end, the kid who had never started a game in his life. With that foresight, Nassib started put- ting the wheels in motion. In January he walked into Shoop's office in the Lasch Building and sat down on the opposite side of the desk. "Invest in me," Nassib pleaded. "I'm a good investment." Shoop took the chance, and as he said, "It's been returned tenfold." ■ year, he was efficient in putting pressure on the passer. Sickels does the same now, too. In fact, with three sacks in Penn State's first 10 games, Sickels' rate of roughly one sack per 50 snaps is a few percent- age points higher than Nassib's per- formance a year ago. So, there you have it. It's a start, at least. Less measurable, however, is the tim- ing of the quarterback hurries – usually when the Nittany Lions need them most. Nassib had a penchant for that as a junior – and again as senior – and Sickels has flashed signs of clutch play as well, such as his 8-yard sack against Northwestern on a critical drive in the fourth quarter when PSU was still cling- ing to a 1-point lead. As a redshirt freshman last year, Sickels recalls Nassib, then a backup, making similar timely hits. Now and moving forward, he's hoping to emulate that. "I just remember Carl coming in and making plays," Sickels said. "Then Carl is doing pretty well this year. It was definitely nice to hear [Franklin's comments]. I'm a high-motor guy and I think that's a good comparison, but if I don't do any- thing to get ready in the off-season, that won't be the case. So, I have to come to work every day, work hard and get bet- ter." A recipient of the 2015 Jim O'Hora Award, which is presented each spring to a Penn State defensive player for "exem- plary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude and improvement," the former four-star recruit from Red Bank, N.J., is ready to put the work in. Ask Penn State's defen- sive coaches, and there is a lot of confi- dence that Sickels will continue to im- prove after the season. "As good of a player as he is, he's a bet- ter person," defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. "Also, he's a sophomore who we're talking about – a real young player who spells a great future for Penn State football and our defense." Whether he follows the same trajecto- ry as Nassib remains to be seen, but de- fensive line coach Sean Spencer agrees that the potential is there. "He's a really, really good pass rusher with some of the best lean and bend that I've coached," Spencer said. "He can come off the end and clear the tackle and really bend. He can twist well. He can ex- plode at the point of impact. We are real- ly excited about him moving forward." Looking ahead, depending on whether tackle Austin Johnson returns for his fi- nal season of eligibility, Sickels could be the only returning starter on PSU's de- fensive line. It'll be quite the contrast to this season, in which Sickels often is HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM Sickels crashes into the back- field during the Nittany Lions' victory over San Diego State in Sep- tember. Photo by Bill Anderson

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