Blue White Illustrated

THE JOHNSON FILE H O N O R S Named a three-star prospect by Rivals and Scout. ... Was Rivals' 29th-best prospect in New Jersey. ... Was No. 27 in the (Newark) Star-Ledger's top 50. to a New Jersey State Non-Public Class A title as a junior. And because he spent his summers traveling for basketball, gaining exposure at foot- ball camps was not his top priority. But those priorities changed after his junior year. Before he arrived at Penn State, he had already been to camps at Boston College and Rutgers, garner- ing scholarship offers at both stops. Tulane made an offer, too, and his next camp was at Syracuse. The Orange had already extended an offer, and the Johnsons were planning to be on campus the day after check- ing out Penn State. But when he com- mitted, Johnson called the Syracuse coaches, and his mother crossed that trip off the itinerary, literally. As they left for home, word quickly spread that two defensive tackles had verbally committed to the Lions follow- ing the camp. One was Derek Dowrey, and the other was Johnson. From that point on, people began to learn about the once-unfamiliar 6-foot-4, 295- pounder and his sheer athleticism. He was given a three-star rating and was considered the 29th-best overall prospect in the Garden State by Ri- vals.com. Many recruiting analysts have said he might fit in better on the offensive line, but Penn State has in- sisted he will start his career on de- fense. Johnson said he's ready to step in wherever he's needed. In the meantime, he is preparing himself for the rigors of Division I foot- ball. He can bench press 345 pounds and has already gained more than 15 pounds since his junior season. And when the time comes to suit up in his no-name basic blue uniform in Beaver Stadium, he wants to make sure Penn State fans remember his name. "I just can't wait to get there and show everybody what I've got and show everyone what I can do," he said. "I'm going to leave my heart on the field every time I'm out there." W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M BY RYAN SNYDER Blue White Illustrated ue under new head coach Bill O'Brien. One of the first commitments of the O'Brien era was from wide re- ceiver Jonathan Warner, son of Curt Warner, the All-America tailback who helped lead Penn State to the 1982 national championship. After playing behind several seniors P during his junior year, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver from Camas, Wash., put in some serious work the summer before his final high school season, transforming into a complete- ly different player. "I was No. 81 my junior year, and I wanted to step out from behind that guy," Warner said. "I switched to No. 1 in 2011, and corners and safeties who used to beat up on me a bit were asking people who the new guy was. "The physical changes happened. I grew into my body and transformed myself. I know I became more mature as a player, too." Eleven touchdowns and 760 yards later, Warner proved to be a legitimate Division I prospect. He didn't receive any official offers, but Boise State, Oregon State, Pitt, Washington and Washington State all began to show serious interest. Then Penn State as- sistant coach Larry Johnson took a look at the film of Warner's senior sea- son. "My dad just sent them my film one day, and then I got a call from coach Larry Johnson a few days later," Warner explained. "It was my birth- day, so he wished me a happy birth- day and then told me that they were offering me a full ride to Penn State. So yeah, you could say that was one heck of a birthday present." A week and a half later, Warner and his father found themselves on a red- eye flight east to visit Penn State for the first time since Jonathan was a WashingtonPreps.com youngster. While the trip to campus in January provided everything he could ask for and then some, Warn- er's eventual commitment ended up being overshadowed by the news that Joe Paterno was gravely ill. "Here I was, about to make a com- mitment to my father's alma mater, but at the same time, my dad's men- tor growing up, Coach Paterno, was taking a turn for the worse," Warn- er said. "We kept it positive, enjoyed our time and made the best of the trip, but when we got the news about Coach Paterno passing away, it def- initely put a damper on my big day." Being in State College the same day did allow Warner to see the best of Penn State. Watching the communi- ty rally in support of Paterno reas- sured Warner that moving to the oth- er side of the country for college was the right decision. "It definitely was a memorable mo- ment, seeing people come together at Coach Paterno's statue, seeing the town react and really just come to- gether," he said. "I was definitely talk- ing to my dad about the good times he had at Penn State and with Coach Paterno. I think that helped both of us get through the day. "In the end, it really just made me even more proud to be a Penn Stater, so I just stayed positive and tried to enjoy the fact that I was officially go- ing to be coming to this school to play football." Looking forward, Warner said he's excited for the opportunity to play in the same stadium where his father once excelled. While he's fully pre- pared to embrace the Warner legacy, Jonathan said he wants Penn State fans to see him for who he is, and not just as his father's son. "The opportunity to play for Penn State really is kind of like a fairytale," he said. "To play at the same place my father played at, it's a great feeling, don't get me wrong. But I also want people to know that I'm myself and not just Curt Warner's son. "I will say this though: I'm going to work as hard as my dad. I'm going to be a true Penn Stater, do all the right things that not only my father would expect of me, but what Coach Pater- no would expect." A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 1 2 15 Jonathan Warner has a familiar name, but he's looking to blaze his own trail at PSU THE WARNER FILE HIS OWN MAN enn State has long been known as a hotbed for legacy prospects, and maybe that trend will contin- S T A T I S T I C S Finished with 760 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior at Camas High School. H O N O R S Was named All-League and All-Region by The Columbian. ... Was rated a two-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com

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