Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/79325
and Notre Dame," the Philadelphia native said. "It was an extremely tough decision for me, but I just think this will be better for me down the road. I really wish everyone at Penn State all the best." Just when it looked like the worst was over, linebacker Zach Bradshaw of DaMascus, Md., and offensive line- man Dorian Johnson of Belle Vernon, Pa., decided on Aug. 7 to part ways with Penn State. Bradshaw was rumored to be think- ing things over following the NCAA sanctions, but many believed he was sold on Penn State, as he had verbally committed in late June – after it had become clear that Penn State was likely to be penalized. "The deciding factor was the magni- tude of the sanctions," Mike Bradshaw, Zach's father, told ESPN.com. "With the loss of scholarships, PSU will be competing in the Big Ten against some of the best teams in the country with 65 scholarship players. The class Zach would be a part of would really bear the brunt of the sanctions." Bradshaw verbally committed to Vir- ginia, just hours after backing out of his commitment to Penn State. Johnson's reasons for departing were similar to Bradshaw's: He thought the penalties the Nittany Lions received were quite harsh. "I knew they were going to get hit, but they got hit real hard," he told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I was- n't expecting all that. "The top two things for me were the bowl game ban and the scholarship losses." Finally, linebacker Zayd Issah of Harrisburg, Pa., made it clear in mid- August that he, too, was having second thoughts about his commitment. Issah said that while he was concerned about the sanctions, he was also mo- tivated by an offer he received July 31 from Oregon. As of press time, it appeared that Penn State might still have a chance to sign Pennsylvania's 2011 Class AAAA Co-Player of the Year, but it's likely that he will visit a few schools this fall, with Oregon looking like the biggest threat to lure him away from Penn State. LEAP OF FAITH Smith, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back who grew up a Penn State fan, committed to the Lions July 24, the day after the NCAA issued its penalties. Defensive back selects Penn State amid turmoil H.D. Woodson High School verbally committed to Penn State on July 24, the day after the NCAA levied sanctions P BY RYAN SNYDER Blue White Illustrated enn State may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons in late July, but that didn't deter de- fensive back Jordan Smith. The Washington, D.C., native from against the Nittany Lions. While he kept his decision quiet for a little more than two and a half weeks, a visit to Penn State with his father and personal trainer Roman Morris – the father of senior cornerback Stephon Morris – on Aug. 11 was enough to reassure him that he had made the right deci- sion. He announced his intentions to the media after he returned home from State College. Tim Owen