Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/94528
Glenn Carson is on deck at Linebacker U Overshadowed for two seasons, MIDDLE MAN G Steve Manuel | lenn Carson has seen the pho- tographs. Fishing boats scat- tered like matchsticks. People plodding down Long Beach Boulevard, knee-deep in sand. Devastation wreaked upon the setting of his fondest childhood memories. They have been difficult images for Carson to truly grasp. A native of Man- ahawkin, N.J., he grew up just seven miles from Long Beach Island, one of the areas that was hit hardest by Hur- ricane Sandy. He calls himself "a beach guy," and whether he was fishing its shores or surfing its waves – two of his favorite pastimes – Carson spent a large portion of his childhood enjoying LBI. So when he sees the pictures and hears the stories, Carson wishes there were more he could do to help out. "My friend said it was a war zone be- cause people were looting since they shut down the island," he said. "People were riding boats over there and just stealing. The marine police and stuff were there, but it was basically a desert because no one was there. Boats were washed up into other people's proper- ties. It was just a mess." Carson's family made it through OK, and he said their home was intact. He had friends, however, who weren't so lucky. One friend completely lost a home. Due to Carson's football obligations at Penn State, he wasn't able to make it back home until the season's end. That bothered him, but with road trips scheduled to Purdue and Nebraska, there weren't many other choices. So, wearing No. 40, the same number he wore at Southern Regional High School, he took it to the football field and tried representing southeastern New Jersey the best he could. In the two road games, he racked up 18 tackles, including one for a loss, and bolstered the middle of Penn State's defense, something he's been doing since he was named starting middle linebacker for the 2011 season. Ten games into his junior year, he ranked third on the team with 65 tackles, three of which were for losses. But linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden said much of his value doesn't show up in the stat columns. "He loves to work," Vanderlinden said. "He's very prideful, extremely prideful