Blue White Illustrated

SPRING FOOTBALL WRAP | PENN STATE VS. HOUSTON to shine this spring, coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's had one of the better springs. He's a heck of a player, a very athlet- ic guy, a very intense guy," O'Brien said. "He's the picture of a Penn State linebacker, and he's poised to have a very good year for us." Hodges said he's been working on the kick coverage teams as well as learn- ing the new defense. His final season will likely serve as his springboard into the league, and while he works to ad- just to the finer points of Roof's de- fense, he's also bearing in mind the school's recent history. The Lions have groomed a number of star NFL linebackers – Paul Posluszny, Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman – and when Hodges looks around the Lasch Build- ing these days, he sees even more. "I feel like there's definitely a chance not just for me, but for guys like Mau- ti, [Glenn] Carson, all those guys in the room," he said. "We know there's hope, because those other guys did it. They sat in these same chairs. Coach [Ron] Vanderlinden was just saying that yesterday. Those guys who are making plays in the NFL, they were sit- ting in these chairs. That definitely makes you feel encouraged." MAUTI EXPECTING Stephon Morris feels rejuvenated in Penn State's new-look defense THE HOT CORNER BY ERIC THOMAS BLUE WHITE CONTRIBUTOR ing staff and to the culture in Happy Valley. But for Stephon Morris, the change T has been personal, as well. Expected to be a leader in a thin but talented Nittany Lions secondary, the 5-foot- 8 senior cornerback said he felt dif- ferent heading into his final spring practice at Penn State. In what way? "I don't know. I really can't answer that question," Morris said after the Blue-White Game. He paused for a second and collect- ed his thoughts. "Looking myself in the mirror, that's part of it," he said "I just wanted to be a better football player this upcom- ing season." If he succeeds in that goal, it will TO PLAY IN OPENER Senior linebacker Michael Mauti sat out the Blue-White Game, but he expects to be an active participant the next time Penn State takes the field. Mauti, whose left ACL was torn against Eastern Michigan last September, said he's been making steady progress as he works his way back to full health and expects to be occu- pying one of the team's out- side linebacker spots when it opens its upcoming season on Sept. 1 against Ohio. "I've got four more months to prepare and get myself back to 100 percent where I'd have no reservation, no restrictions whatsoever," Mauti said. W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M help a Nittany Lions secondary that has a bull's-eye on it. Banged up, and needing to replace experienced play- ers like Chaz Powell, D'Anton Lynn, Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay, Penn State needs to find some answers dur- ing the next few months. Morris, Malcolm Willis, Adrian Amos, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong and Mike Wallace are all vying for playing time. In addition, Curtis Drake moved from wide receiver to the secondary to provide depth. It's a work in progress, but the key word is progress. "Our depth's been crazy," Morris said. "Me and Malcolm have been get- ting crazy reps, which is only making us better. Reps are always good. We've got so many injuries in the de- fensive backfield that Amos had to play free safety, strong safety [in the Blue-White Game]. "We're learning all phases of the de- fense. They want us to learn every po- sition, so it's only making us better." COVER STORY Morris was named the team's most improved defensive player after a strong showing this spring. John Beale he past seven months have been seasons of change at Penn State – changes to the roster, to the coach- ondary intercepted three of Rob Bold- en's passes. "I think we played well getting three turnovers," Morris said. "We blew a couple of assignments, but we can get that taken care of. We didn't play per- fect, but as far as a unit, we played well. We want to get better each and every practice, because this was a prac- tice. We just want to limit our mistakes, take advantage of the film, watch film, see what we need to do and lim- it these mistakes for next time." Speaking of film, Morris said he and Amos are always together and always watching film. Butler is also getting the best out of his players, as both sides adjust to a new coaching regime. "[Coach] Butler is one of the What's helping to make Morris a better player is a revamped offense at Penn State. The Nittany Lions are using new terminology and develop- ing new practice routines. Morris re- ferred to it as the "NASCAR portion" of spring practice, in which the of- fense would operate in hurry-up mode, keeping the defense on its toes. The practice sessions forced Morris to think on his feet and tested his range against receivers like Justin Brown, Allen Robinson and others. A season ago, he played both cor- nerback spots but said he felt "lim- ited" by his role. Now he's more comfortable, even though the scheme is changing under new secondary coach John Butler. He won the Jim O'Hora Award this spring, which goes to the team's most improved de- fensive player. In the Blue-White Game, the sec- smartest guys I've ever met, no offense to [Tom Bradley]. Scrap was a smart coach and a defensive coach, but Coach Butler has taken all of our games to a different level," Morris said. "We like watching film with him, and you can just tell, too, that he's into it. He loves it. He just wants to get us better each and every time. Even if we make positive plays, he al- ways picks out something negative, every time. It's always getting better with him." When Morris was asked what he had to improve on, he said "every- thing." But he hasn't lost any of his confi- dence through all the changes. "I al- ways believed in my ability," he said. "My ability was always there." For Morris, the 2011 campaign was an up-and-down ride. He saw ac- tion in 12 games but started only two. When training camp starts, he'll be looking to lock down a role as a full- time starter. If his attitude is any in- dication, Morris could give a big lift to a secondary that must regroup over the next few months. "I'm more happy this year," he said, "and when you're happy, you play better." J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 2 25

• Cover