P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >>
year ago, Matt Limegrover
wasn't sure what to think. He
had just started as Penn State's
offensive line coach, and when he walked
into his meeting room for the
first time, he was greeted by
players whose personalities
were as large as their 300-
pound bodies.
During his 25 years as a col-
lege football coach,
Limegrover had learned the importance
of gauging the personal dynamics of his
position group. But as he got to know his
newest pupils, not just as players but as
individuals, he noticed
that one in particular –
Steven Gonzalez – just
didn't seem to have the
same outgoing demeanor
as everyone else in the
room. "He was just kind
of a lone wolf, a loner, a quiet kid who
kept to himself," Limegrover recalled.
A year later, the script has flipped. "It's
Jekyll and Hyde," the assistant coach said.
Earning a starting nod in the Rose Bowl,
blazing a path for the greatest comeback
in Big Ten Championship Game history –
those kind of accomplishments can do
wonders for a player's confidence. For
Gonzalez, that's exactly what has hap-
pened.
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A
LINE OF FIRE
Gonzalez became
a starter late last
season after in-
juries hit Penn
State's offensive
front. Photo by
Steve Manuel
