Blue White Illustrated

BY RYAN SNYDER Blue White Illustrated I Athlete Malik Golden has been on a roll since the start of his football career. He's anticipating more good times at PSU THE GOLDEN FILE GOLDEN RULE f Malik Golden's career ends the way it began, fans should have no prob- lems accepting Bill O'Brien and the new era of Penn State football. Growing up in Newington, Conn., the incoming freshman – who played AAU soccer until seventh grade – went on to win an officially recognized national championship his first year playing lo- cal midget league football. A member of American Youth Football at the time, Golden and the Newington Knights went undefeated in the Junior Midget Divi- sion in 2005, eventually earning the right to be called national champions. "After winning the New England re- gional, we played three games during the national tournament in Tucson, Ariz.," Golden explained. "It was my first year, and I was playing wide re- ceiver and safety. I ended up scoring the first two touchdowns in the cham- pionship game. I remember it like it was yesterday. The first one was a 70- yard post, and the second was a 60- yard toss sweep. "You could say I was definitely a foot- ball player after that season." Two years later, Golden was a fast- rising freshman at Newington High School. Able to keep up with the up- perclassmen, he competed that first full season at every level – varsity in- cluded – and realized at that time that he had the potential to play in college. "Freshman year was crazy. I was playing for the freshman squad on Thursday, varsity on Friday and jun- ior varsity on Saturday," he said. "Varsity was mostly just special teams and at certain times in the game, but the coaches really wanted to get me used to the game and their system. I ended up starting for the JV and freshman teams, though. I think I had around 1,500 or 1,600 all-purpose yards on the freshman squad before I got a concussion." Following his sophomore year, his first full season on the varsity squad, Golden decided to transfer to Cheshire 14 A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 1 2 S T A T I S T I C S Had 815 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches as a senior at Cheshire Academy. ... Had seven interceptions and nine deflections playing defense. H O N O R S Was named a three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. cause I really liked Penn State, but I just didn't know what to do. So Wiscon- sin started pushing me, then Duke of- fered and Vanderbilt. I was going to go to the Wisconsin game for an official vis- it, but they were playing Penn State, and I couldn't do that to Penn State. "I ended up just visiting Iowa and Academy in an attempt to be "better prepared for college." It may have been one of the best decisions he's ever made. After arriving at his new school, Golden never looked back, bursting onto the scene as legitimate Division I prospect as a junior. It was as a junior that he led Cheshire to a victory in a New England Prepara- tory School Athletic Council (NEP- SAC) Bowl Game. The team's opponent was New Hampton Prep, which fea- tured future Penn State signee Jake Ki- ley. Golden and Kiley were the top play- ers on their respective teams, and Gold- en enjoyed a big game. "I ended up having something like 305 all-purpose yards in that game," he said. "Whenever I see Jake, I always remind him of that." Even after befriending Kiley, the 6- foot-1, 185-pound Golden almost decid- ed against signing with Penn State when it became apparent the school was get- ting set to hire a new coaching staff. "I really was looking at some other schools at the time," he said. "I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, be- New Jersey defensive tackle Austin Johnson jumps at the chance to attend Penn State WHY WAIT? BY TIM OWEN Blue White Contributor A ustin Johnson wasn't waiting any longer. Standing outside The Fam- ily Clothesline on College Avenue, he called home to talk to his father. He had important news to tell him, but he also needed his blessing. Football camp had just ended at Penn State, and Johnson, a defensive tack- le from St. Augustine Prep in Richland, N.J., had been tendered a scholarship offer by assistant coach Larry Johnson. If he wanted to play for the Nittany Li- ons, which was his boyhood dream, all he had to do was accept. "Can we wait to talk about this as a family first?" said Tammy Johnson, trying to dissuade her son from mak- ing an immediate decision as they stood together across the street from Penn State's campus. "No, I'm calling him right now, be- cause this is where I want to go," John- son replied. "This is where I want to be. I don't want to be anywhere else." His dad didn't talk him out of it, ei- ther. And so Johnson's next phone call was to Larry Johnson, the Nittany Li- ons' longtime defensive line coach, to accept the offer. He's been part of the university's family ever since. "You could have probably lit the whole Penn State campus up with his smile," Tammy said, recalling that June afternoon. "He was so excited. I was ex- cited for him. I had tears in my eyes, be- cause I could see how happy he was that he got offered by Penn State." It wasn't the only offer Johnson re- ceived that summer. Because he had played basketball in previous years, the summer before his senior season was really the first time Johnson hit the camp circuit. As a result, he was rel- atively unknown among the primary recruiting websites. "Austin wasn't the typical football player who went to all the combines and all the other things that other kids did," his mother said. "He played bas- ketball in the summer." He was pretty good at it, too. John- son ended his senior season averag- ing 15 points and 11 rebounds per game and also helped lead the Hermits W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M UConn then, but once I came back to Penn State and met the new staff, I knew I was going to be fine with my original choice." Golden had planned on playing de- fensive back in college but has been told he'll start on offense. Receivers coach Stan Hixon has liked what he's seen of the prospect, which means Golden will have an opportunity to do what he's done best since the start of his football career: catch touchdown passes. "I talk to Coach Hixon all the time, and I'm real excited to just help the team out," he said. "Whatever they need me to do, I'm going to be there. I can't wait for this summer. It really can't get here soon enough."

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