Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/88420
can mostly laugh it off, but as his self- assessment confirms, he's not settling. Earlier this season, defensive coordi- nator Ted Roof called Barnes a "prideful kid," and he clearly meant it as a com- pliment. "His performance is important to him," Roof said, "and at the same time, he's a team guy. Deion's got some ability, and he's working hard to get better." With Massaro and Stanley both gone after this season, it's easy to imagine Barnes spending the next three seasons turning that ability and hard work into stardom. That assumes he stays. He said his brief thoughts of transferring were just that – brief – and whenever he's been asked, he has reiterated his intentions to stay a Nittany Lion. "I haven't been bothered by any other coaches, and I'm glad I haven't," he said. "I wouldn't listen to it. If they call, I'm not listening." If the past year has taught Penn State fans anything, it's that drastic change can come out of nowhere. Until the NCAA sanctions end, it seems fool- hardy to assume any Lion with eligibility remaining might not have his heard turned by a program with national title aspirations. Barnes and the rest of the Supa Six – Adrian Amos, Bill Belton, Kyle Carter, Allen Robinson and Donovan Smith – are just the sort of players the Lane Kiffins of the college football world will be after. Their col- lective and continued commitment would send an invaluable message about the short- and long-term future of O'Brien's program. It's a responsibility they never would have expected, but as Barnes says now, he and his fellow 2011 recruits "kind of" get it. It helps not to worry too much about the big picture. "We definitely want to keep everybody here," he said. "If we all keep contributing the way we're doing, we know we can help this team out a lot. If you see all of us, all the core guys, staying, there's no reason to leave." has missed two of Penn State's past four seasons with knee in- juries, and a shoulder injury he suffered against Virginia earlier this season only made things worse, forcing him out of action just as his extensively rehabbed left knee was starting to feel no- ticeably better. "I've basically been living in P the training room," Massaro said. "I'm in there twice a day, pretty much every day. Just a lot of ice, a lot of rehab, a lot of stuff like that. But they did some good work, and I think I'm on the right path." The shoulder injury, not the knee, is what kept him out of the Navy, Temple and Illinois games. He suffered ligament damage and a bone bruise that he described as "pretty nasty" John Beale Massaro eager to make an impact as knee, shoulder injuries heal ete Massaro knows all too well how to deal with pain. The senior defensive end while trying to bring down Cav- aliers quarterback Michael Roc- co in week two. Massaro had never suffered a shoulder injury before, and it took longer to heal than he expected. But he's been feeling better lately and doesn't expect to be hampered in the second half of the sea- son. The knee problems, however, are chronic. He said his left knee has been feeling better than it has felt in a while, but he's not pain-free and he has to make sure he gets adequate rest during game weeks so that he's ready to go on Saturday. "As the week goes on, it gets more and more sore every day," Massaro said. "Sometimes things like going up and down steps, getting out of a chair, stuff like that, will really start to bother me, and it takes a toll on the strength of the leg. "But we have some time to rest and recover before the game, and that's the difference between now and [preseason] camp, when it was getting worse every day. It's easier to manage during the season, and I don't think it would have given me any problems if I hadn't been in- jured against Virginia." Massaro had two tackles in the three games in which he played during the first half of the season. He's been practicing on a limited basis but expects to do more, both in practice and in games, as he starts to feel healthier. After everything he's been through, Massaro is eager to keep moving forward. There's a lesson in all this, and he's learned it well. Said Massaro, "When you're going through hell, keep going." –MATT HERB