Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/88420
NEON DEION Barnes has es- tablished himself as one of Penn State's brightest young stars this season. Only a redshirt fresh- man, he had four sacks through six games to lead the Lions and rank fourth in the Big Ten. BEGINNING OF THE END Freshman DE Deion Barnes gets off to a roaring start R John Beale | esponsibility keeps popping up in ways Deion Barnes never expected. All that playing time? Starts in five of Penn State's first six games? Barnes knew that, even as a redshirt freshman, he'd get on the field this season. He knew that injuries to senior starter Pete Massaro would mean he'd get his chances at defensive end. But he thought those chances would be limited. "I thought I was going to come in, maybe fill the void a little bit," Barnes said. "I didn't think there'd be this much playing time." And what about his emerging role as a pillar of the program's fu- ture? When Barnes and five of the Nittany Lions' other young standouts last year dubbed themselves the "Supa Six," it was a chance for lighthearted bragging about their bright collective future. Now, they have emerged together as not only key players, but as symbols of the kind of talent Bill O'Brien must keep on campus as Penn State endures four years of NCAA sanctions. Barnes didn't see that coming, either. But now? "Yeah, we're aware of it," he said, with a hint of tentativeness that speaks to his age. It can't be easy for any 19-year-old to fully understand the weight of all this. But Barnes sure seems to be trying. It's midway through Penn State's bye week, an overcast October Wednesday afternoon, and Barnes' 6-foot-4, 245-pound frame leans out from an easy chair in the Lasch Building players lounge. The lights are off, and a couple of teammates are sunk into couches trying to catch a pre-practice nap. The vibe is relaxed, as it should be for a team on a four-game winning streak, and with a week off to heal and get home for a few days with family and friends.