Blue White Illustrated

F O O T B A L L Lions make gains during winter workouts Penn State strength coordinator Dwight Galt and head coach James Franklin opened the doors to the pro- gram's weight room last month for the concluding workout of the team's winter session. Having completed the 40-yard dash and pro shuttle on March 13 and the bench press, power clean and squats in the days that followed, the Nittany Lions wrapped up a seven-week session that was delayed by two weeks due to their remarkable Rose Bowl run. With their max testing numbers com- pleted, the Nittany Lions regrouped over the weekend before beginning spring practice on March 22. They're currently in the midst of their 15-session spring practice drills, a schedule that will cul- minate April 22 with the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. Franklin said he was im- pressed with the results he saw during the winter. "I think we're one of the big- ger, stronger, faster teams right now that I've ever been around, not just at Penn State but in my 23 years doing this," he said. "I'm excited about that, and I'm proud of the guys and how hard they've worked. I'm proud of the leader- ship of Coach Galt and his staff." Here's a look at some of the highlights of winter workouts: SPEED DEMONS Led by rising junior running back Saquon Barkley, Penn State has made significant speed gains throughout the pro- gram since Franklin's staff arrived more than three years ago. And as Galt noted, those improvements NEWS & NOTES HEAVY LIFTING Center Zach Simpson was one of many Nittany Lions to post im- proved numbers during Penn State's recently completed winter conditioning drills. Photo by Nate Bauer |

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