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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> [Mahon and Nelson] have done a good job with it. They look great. When they get in there, they've done a really good job. They're able to run. They're able to move. They're powerful. They're physical. So it's been good for us, but it's not like they're taking the full amount of reps that the rest of the [first-team linemen] are." While they're in agreement with their head coach and the medical staff and un- derstand the reasoning, it hasn't been easy for the veterans to take a backseat role during camp, especially given that they feel as healthy as they've been since this time a year ago. It hasn't been as difficult, however, as having to watch from the sideline last winter when the Nittany Lions soared to championship heights. "When we got hurt, it was different," Mahon said. "It's hard to watch. As happy as you are for everyone, you feel like you could have done more when you had the time. You wish you just had one more play, and that's what we have now. We have a whole season left, [one semester] left here at Penn State, so we're excited for the opportunity after the missed time we've had over the past year. We're ex- tremely exited for this last opportunity to raise our play to the championship stan- dard that we strive for every day." With their eventual return – it's not a matter of if, but when – the coaching staff will face a predicament as it works to get the best five offensive linemen on the field. Mahon and Nelson are the most ex- perienced members of the team's growing talent pool, but a number of younger players gained valuable experience while they were out of action last season. Now that they've had a taste of playing time, they want more. The competition is fierce, Nelson said, "which actually is helping our offensive line." And even though they'll soon be bat- tling against one another for starting spots – as of early August it was still un- clear which positions Mahon and Nelson might play – they are happy to guide their younger teammates along in the mean- time. "Even in spring ball when they couldn't do much, they had a huge impact on us," sophomore guard Steven Gonzalez said. "They're always coaching us, always talk- ing to us, always just leading the group. You can just tell that they're the leaders. They're really stepping up and embracing that role. It's been awesome for all of us." The young guys are appreciative of their presence, because at one point it was un- clear whether they would return for their senior seasons. Mahon, who is from Randolph, N.J., said it wasn't much of a decision to come back once he thought about it. "As soon as I got hurt, I just wanted to be back on the field," he said. Nelson, however, had missed a com- bined total of nearly one full season, mostly due to a series of knee injuries. For a period of time, the native of Hershey, Pa., contemplated an early retirement from PSU football. "I weighed the options with my parents and people I trusted about what to do," Nelson said. "The thing in the back of my mind every time I thought about it was, 'If you leave, you're going to regret it at some point. I don't know if it's going to be right after [the season] or 10 years down the road, but you're going to regret it.' Both Brendan and I, we want a good sea- son. We want to be here and do something special for this team, so that's really mo- tivated us to stay." In the summer of 2012 they were two of six budding recruits, at the doorstep of not only their college football careers but also the PSU coaches' offices, vowing to stay with the team through thick and thin. Five years later, Mahon and Nelson have done just that. Now they want to make sure their final season is the best one yet. "You really don't appreciate it until you lose it, and I think that's Andrew's and my biggest thing this year," Mahon said. "We know what it feels like to not have it, so every day we're going to come out and strive for greatness for ourselves, this team and this unit. Every day in practice, every play you get, is truly a blessing and a gift." ■ RETURN GAME Nelson works out during winter con- ditioning last March. The fifth- year senior line- man thought about passing up his final season after missing time due to knee in- juries but opted instead to return, telling himself, "If you leave, you're going to regret it." Photo by Nate Bauer

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