Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M or some, it might be the sight of Old Main that does it. For others, it could be the scent of the Willard Building hallways, or a food item like grilled stickies or Creamery ice cream. No matter what triggers the feeling, everyone has a viewpoint of what Penn State stands for. The soft cushion from the Beaver Sta- dium grass underneath my feet is one of my reminders, just like it reminds me that another college football season is almost here. I have a unique apprecia- tion for Penn State's turf and the job that Herb Combs and his staff do. My college roommate was in the turfgrass science school, and now he and many of his fellow alumni are scattered across the country working for leading re- searchers and at some of the most pres- tigious sporting venues and golf courses. For most of them, Beaver Sta- dium remains the Holy Grail. So when I get the rare chance to step on it, which I do only a half dozen or so times throughout the year, it's a mo- ment I take in. Because, to me, it's as much a representation of PSU as any- thing on campus. Walking across that grass in early August, however, I was re- minded of what else can blossom at this university. Joined by coaches and players and dozens of media members at large gath- erings such as preseason media day, I seldom walk toward the crowds, like the ones that surrounded Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorley and Garrett Sickels. In- stead, I find the backups, the assistant coaches, the special teamers. Two of my first interviews this year were kicker Tyler Davis and long snapper Tyler Yazujian. These are how you find the hidden gems and discover how profi- ciently some of these athletes have maximized their opportunities while playing for PSU. If you want a personifi- cation of Success with Honor, these two are about as close as it gets. Last year was Davis's first at Penn State. It was also his first time ever playing football, but not only did the former soccer star convert every one of his field goal and PAT attempts, he also became a top business student and spent the summer at an options trading firm in Chicago. It's likely he'll parlay the internship into a full-time job once his athletic career ends. Yazujian – "Yaz" to his teammates – is another example. He came to Penn State thinking he had given up on varsity sports after high school, when he was a pitcher who could throw in the low to mid-80s and an all-conference tight end. As a freshman he joined the club baseball team before trying out for football. After the first tryout, he was told to come back next semester. So he did, and on his sec- ond attempt, he earned a spot at a posi- tion that he had never played before. Both now are aiming to maintain a tra- jectory in this sport that might ultimately land them an NFL tryout. "I'll give it a shot," Yazujian said, "but I do have a plan B and I'm excited about plan B." Isn't that the quintessential goal? Get a quality education with a chance to go pro. Then if it doesn't work out, there's always a fallback. Davis has a pretty good fallback. Yazujian does, too. One of the top students on the team, boasting a 3.86 grade-point average this summer, Yazujian has an offer waiting for him after graduation with the Na- tional Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Springfield, Va. There he hopes to ex- pand his interest and research in intelli- gence analysis and counterterrorism. Win or lose on the field, student-ath- letes like this are further examples of PSU's breadth. It's not anything new or revolutionary, of course. They have com- peted on every athletic surface that Penn State has offered throughout its history. PSU has been at the forefront of research and science for more than a century. It's what the motto is based upon. Following a summer in which many of the story- lines centered around negative recruiting and how other teams allegedly used the dark days of Penn State's past to their advantage, sometimes all that's needed are little reminders like these, just a walk on the grass. They're selling points that James Franklin has continued to use when pursuing the nation's best prospects. They're also the best elixir to any bad talk that has happened behind the scenes, or is going to happen in the fu- ture. Because let's face it: Negative re- cruiting happened before and will happen again, especially considering the nauseating headlines that sur- rounded Penn State in its recent history and the ammo they've provided oppo- nents in a recruiting world where nearly anything goes. It's hard to change the perceptions of those who have only a peripheral view of the university – a view that's been shaped by the Sandusky scandal. But there's a lot more to Penn State than the headlines would suggest, and that's what will ultimately win out. The key is to let the positives continue speaking for themselves. Stories like Yaz and Davis. World-rec- ognized academic programs like the business school, the college of informa- tion sciences and technology. Even the turf program. There are reminders of them everywhere if you know where to look – always have been, in fact – and they are what is needed to outweigh the negative. Because that's not going any- where, either. ■ Positive reinforcement F

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