Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/83706
Stellar sophomore leads the Nittany Lions' revamped secondary YO, ADRIAN O | ne of the more practical uses of Penn State's preseason foot- ball media day is how it helps reporters learn which players they'll be able to count on for a quote. Body language alone makes it clear that, while some of these guys want nothing to do with the press – is that an offensive tackle hiding under a bench? – others would be happy if a gaggle of reporters followed them to class every day. Stephon Morris seems to fit squarely into the latter category. When the writers and cameramen flooded the Beaver Stadium turf back in August, Morris happily confirmed his reputation as a Nittany Lion with plenty of opinions and a willingness to share them. It was Morris, the senior cornerback from Greenbelt, Md., who decried Ryan Nowicki's transfer to Illi- nois as a "coward move." When asked about his relative lack of playing time under the previous coaching staff, it was Morris who said, "I wouldn't say I was lied to, but…" But his favorite role on media day might've been hype man for his fellow secondary starter, Adrian Amos. "That boy," Morris said, "he's gonna be special." Morris is hardly the only one vouching for Amos, the 6-foot, 205-pound soph- omore whose size and athleticism might make him the best player in the Penn State secondary, regardless of position – and though he says he doesn't have a preference, he can play and likely will play them all. In a unit where concerns over a lack of experience and depth dominated the preseason discussions, the presence of one future star was reason for hope. In his first season as a starter, Amos has done plenty to justify that faith. The starter at left cornerback in each of the Lions' first three games, Amos has been impossible to miss. He went into the Temple game ranked fourth on the team with 19 total tackles – be- hind only linebackers Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges and Glenn Carson, and ahead of everyone else. Some of that can be pinned on the style of Penn State's early opponents – Ohio and Virginia combined for 77 pass attempts, guaranteeing Penn State's corners would be busy – but anyone who has watched him repeatedly negate yards- after-catch opportunities knows Amos is a playmaker. What he's not, unlike his buddy Mor- ris, is much of a talker. "I'm not that vocal," Amos offers as brief self-as- sessment. "I just try to do what I'm supposed to do, make big plays when the team needs me." Thankfully, others are happy to talk – about what makes Amos so good, how much better he might get, and just how far he has to go to get there. "That kid's a freak of nature," said Morris, who compares Amos favorably to former Tennessee All-American and NFL Pro Bowler Eric Berry. "He can do a little bit of everything. He'll definitely be one of the best safeties in this con- ference, but he can be one of the best corners in this conference as well. The kid is gifted. He's crazy. We're definitely counting on him a lot." "I remember seeing him when he came [on his recruiting visit] and think- ing, 'Man, this guy is big. He's the same size as me and he's still in high school,'" said junior safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, who hosted the Bal- timore resident on his official visit. "Not a lot of corners are his size. He plays fast and he plays strong. It's great to have him back there." "Talent, ability, potential – he has all of that," said secondary coach John Butler. "But he can get a lot better." The word that comes up repeatedly in regard to Amos is maturity. It's help- ful to remember, of course, that when dealing with 19-year-old true sopho- mores, immaturity is generally part of the package. His teammates and posi- tion coach aren't so much concerned about Amos "getting it" as they are ex- cited for when he finally, fully does. "That's going to be his biggest thing," Butler said. "He has a skill set that's very good, and we just have to bring it out of him. It's a day-to-day process of focusing, getting better." Added Morris, "I tell him all the time, 'Everything you do, man, you gotta be a leader. It's gonna be your secondary, and everybody's gonna look up to you.' " As noted, a lot of people already are looking at Amos, not least because he shines in a secondary that came into the season with so much to prove. Penn State's preseason concerns in the defensive backfield are well docu- mented: The Lions graduated all four starters from last season's solid if un- spectacular group, and entered the season with just five players – Morris, Amos, Obeng-Agyapong and safeties Malcolm Willis and Jake Fagnano – boasting any relevant experience. Results thus far have been mixed. Al- lowing 324 passing yards on opening day to a Mid-American Conference team was an ominous way to start, but con- sidering that Ohio boasted a passer