Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M hat's wild is that it looks as though this is just the start. No, there won't ever be another Saquon Barkley, nor will Penn State have an easy time finding a 6-foot-5 tight end who can run, jump and catch like Mike Gesicki. And in the past 11 years, there has only been one safety to ever run like Troy Apke. But if anyone thinks that Penn State's total and utter dominance at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine was a one-hit wonder, they might soon find them- selves reconsidering. Here's the secret... On the last day of February, head strength coach Dwight Galt welcomed a few dozen media members into his weight room. It was only a couple of days before his eight-man contingent opened eyes in Indianapolis, before they accomplished feats that garnered head- lines across the country. "SU- PERQUON," read the back cover of the New York Post. It was at that moment, before the pub- lic had realized it, that Galt could have forecast the success to come. After all, he knew those players' numbers and limits, or lack thereof, better than anyone. Instead, standing inside the Lasch Building after a Wednesday workout, Galt opted to comment mostly on the players who are coming next, the group of Nittany Lions who had just finished their 30th workout of the winter. "At any place I've been – less here than anywhere else – there always comes a time where you just say, 'Eh, they were just kind of flat today,' " Galt said. "But I just haven't had one of those days all year. ... We've always had great winters, but I just think this one kind of takes the place of the best one we've had so far, and it's our fifth one here." That's a powerful assertion when you consider what the last four years have produced. There have been 11-win sea- sons, major bowl games and a confer- ence championship. Those achievements have all been part of an unforgettable turnaround for the Nit- tany Lions dating to their back-to-back 7-6 seasons in 2014 and '15. Is it out of place to say that the revival all began in Galt's weight room? Beyond the win totals, if you want a quantifiable indication of the strides this program has taken recently, look no further than the recent combine results. It might be the caliber of recruits who are signing, or it might be how they've been developed under this coaching staff. Might be the chicken, might be the egg. Whatever the case, the one common thread is Galt. A Penn State representa- tive finished atop his position group at nine events at this year's combine, a total number that is two times greater than any other team. Those perform- ances made Galt perhaps the combine's biggest winner. When it was finished, Penn State had been awarded 13 de facto medals, mean- ing a Nittany Lion football player fin- ished in first, second or third place at his respective position in an event. The next-closest teams – North Carolina State, Oklahoma and UCLA – finished with only six medals apiece. It was the largest margin of victory at the combine in the past three years. While Penn State's showing might have caught some by surprise, those who have followed Galt's work through the years, or have trained under his guidance, consider it an expectation. "When we come in and get to perform and put our bodies to the test, we per- form well," said Jason Cabinda, who did not participate in drills due to an un- specified medical exemption. "Being from Penn State, Coach Galt does such a good job of pushing us to our limits." Other former players weighed in via Twitter about Galt's presence. Carolina Panthers receiver Torrey Smith played at Maryland from 2007 to 2010 when James Franklin was an assistant there and Galt was the Terrapins' strength and conditioning coach. "Seeing these Penn [State] dudes shine is pretty cool, not because they are blessed but they are coached by a legend," Smith wrote. "[Dwight] Galt… the secret." During his time in Maryland, Galt helped groom two other combine standouts in Vernon Davis and Darius Heyward-Bey. Davis, a tight end, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and turned in a vertical jump of 42.0 inches. Heyward-Bey, a receiver, ran the 40 in 4.3 seconds, the best time that year. According to NFL Research, Barkley and Davis are the only players since 2003 who weighed in at 230 pounds or more, ran the 40 in 4.40 seconds or faster and jumped at least 40 inches in the vertical. But long before Barkley arrived in In- dianapolis, Galt knew he had that kind of a performance in him. "[Davis] is who Saquon reminds me of," Galt said during Barkley's sophomore season. Those kind of players "don't come along very often. When they do, you can sit back and hold on for the ride." During the broadcast on the NFL Net- work, analyst Mike Mayock reminded viewers of Galt's previous players. "Penn State has lit this combine up, from Saquon Barkley on forward," May- ock said. "I got a couple of texts saying don't forget when [Galt] was at Mary- land, he had Vernon Davis and Darius Heyward-Bey, so apparently speed fol- lows him." Mayock is probably going to say that again, because it sounds like the ride is just starting. ■ Just getting warmed up W

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