Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/717693
transformed his body in the off-season. Admittedly "crushed" by Joe Moorhead's new warp-speed offense in the spring, Sickels dropped all the way down to 241 pounds in May. Hardly believing the numbers on the scale, he said he knew he had to fully commit to getting bigger and stronger through the summer months if he wanted to excel in the fall. So he ate, worked out, and ate more. In tandem with fellow defensive end Evan Schwan, Sickels consumed roughly 6,000 calories a day while following a strict schedule to maximize the impact of his new diet. Seven days a week, Sickels would begin eating at 6 a.m. with a three- cup bag of microwaved brown rice com- bined with five or six scrambled eggs, topped with a dash of soy sauce for the full fried rice flavor effect. He would ac- company it with yogurt and granola, then would go back to sleep for a few hours be- fore waking up to a second breakfast of filet mignon and cooked pasta. At lunchtime, Sickels would fuel up for his afternoon workout by ordering a Chipotle burrito bowl, and immediately after the workout he would down a protein shake. When he and Schwan sat down for dinner, it was usually steak or salmon with even more brown rice or pasta, followed by an upper-body workout at their apart- ment complex, all capped with another protein shake before going to bed and doing it all over again the next day. By midsummer, Sickels had hit 265 pounds, while Schwan was at 268. That's when they realized they had maxed out. "It was almost to the point where you would get sick here and there, trying to keep it down," Sickels said. "I ate that Monday through Sunday and over time just put on all this weight. Eating right, with our strength program and the way we did it this summer, really helped out big-time, too." The payoff was evident in his power clean, squat, bench press and overall strength and speed numbers, all of which improved. A lot of people took notice of his dedication through- out the off-season, from the coaching staff on down through the support staffers and his fellow players. "Garrett, I think as a D-lineman, has probably improved more than anyone I can think of," veteran tackle Andrew Nel- son said. "Garrett early on was kind of – and this is not an insult to him – but he was kind of like a one-trick pony. He had a good move and he could get guys with it a lot, but Garrett has really developed his game and evolved his game to having a good inside move, grab the outside shoul- der and rip through. "If you looked at him this summer, the guy was on a mission for this year. He looks bigger, he looks a lot stronger, he's faster. So I always love going against Gar- rett. He gives me a great look." Taking his role seriously as a mentor to a group that includes three true freshmen, a pair of redshirts, and redshirt sopho- more Torrence Brown, Sickels has worked to lead by example this preseason, focus- ing on his own technique and practicing what he preaches to his less-ex- perienced teammates. Sickels is looking for an im- proved performance against the run this season, noting that he wants to disengage from blocks better. And while working on that facet of his game, he has also made strides as a pass rusher. Sickels' development, coupled with the performance of his fellow defen- sive ends, has boosted Spencer's confi- dence in the Nittany Lions' rotation. Between the veterans and the younger, highly recruited prospects with great skill sets, the coaching staff has created a competitive environment, one that has given them a chance to back up Spencer's promise to "reload, not rebuild." With "Skinny Minnie" long gone, Sick- els is now playing a leadership role in Spencer's group. "We're excited about him. We're excited about him being an older guy who is game-tested, so he has a chance to be a leader. We want him to be a leader," Spencer said. "You think he's a quiet guy, kind of goofy. He likes hunting and fish- ing and stuff, but on that field he turns into a raging maniac. I love it." ■ CHAOS THEORY With Sickels as his only re- turning starter, Spencer has been working to continue Penn State's success on the defensive line. Photo by Nate Bauer