The big news coming out of Happy Valley this week is the fact that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is making over $1 million and is officially the highest-paid Penn State employee.
When I saw that story, I had one thought — who cares?
Don’t get me wrong, JoePa’s salary is always going to be a hot topic of discussion, but it just doesn’t sound like news to me, not when you consider that Paterno also cleans up with his Nike contract and numerous other endorsement deals. The $1 million is just the tip of the iceberg for JoePa.
With that in mind, I was looking for story angles for this week’s Morelli OnLion while watching the Penguins get jobbed by the refs in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but I will leave the hockey commentary for fellow gantnews.com columnist Dave Glass.
With little news coming out of University Park this week (it is summer, after all), we’ll focus on another key member of Penn State’s 2009 football team — A.J. Wallace. And we’ll also feature another member of the Class of 2009.
Let’s start with Wallace.
A.J. Wallace will be a key player on the defensive side of the ball in 2009.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Key Corner
When you think about a leader on the defensive side of the football for the 2009 version of the Nittany Lions, a couple of names come to mind.
Sean Lee. Jared Odrick.
Well, there’s another one to consider — A.J. Wallace.
The senior cornerback from Waldorf, Md., is hopeful that his teammates will look toward him for leadership when the 2009 season begins on Sept. 5 against Akron.
“I’m a senior, I have the game experience and I wanna be the guy people come to,” Wallace said. “Some of the guys back there really haven’t played corner yet. I have the experience and I can pass that knowledge along to them. It’s going to help them and help me, so why not share what I know so I can make them better?”
As he prepares for his final season as a Nittany Lion, Wallace has done a little bit of everything for coach Joe Paterno. He’s been a wideout and a kick returner. Now, he’s settled into his role as corner and he’s very comfortable there, he said.
“I feel as though I’ve found my niche,” Wallace said. “Corner is where I need to be. It’s going to put me in the best position to get to the next level.”
Wallace realizes that this is an important season if he wants to play in the NFL. In his career in Happy Valley, he’s made 66 tackles, including 46 solo jobs. He also has three fumble recoveries and one interception. His best season came in 2007, when he was playing opposite Justin King. That year, he made 33 tackles, including 22 solo.
Last season, Wallace suffered through a bit of a dropoff, as he was hampered by a hamstring injury.
That injury returned, unfortunately, this spring. Wallace said that the injury occurred during a simple drill in Holuba Hall.
“It was during one-on-ones in Holuba. It was sore, I didn’t get a chance to stretch like I normally do. It was a stop-and-go route,” Wallace said. “(The receiver) stopped, and I felt it tighten up on me. I didn’t wanna risk it and go any further, so I told the coaches. I just sat down and tried to stretch it out. After practice, they looked at it and said, ‘It’s just a strain. Ice it.’”
The hammy continued to give Wallace problems throughout the spring, though.
“It’s a very tough injury considering we’re out there sprinting full speed on basically every play,” Wallace said. “You really need your legs as a corner, more so than most positions. It’s very hard to play corner with a flat tire. You just try to play through it if you can.”
That’s exactly what Wallace did in the annual Blue-White Game. While the hammy was not 100 percent, Wallace appeared in the game and made two tackles.
He’s almost assured of a starting cornerback spot when the season begins in September, but he’s not quite certain who will be lining up on the other corner.
Knowledge Timmons and D’Anton Lynn are fighting for the spot in a battle that will probably wage into the fall.
Wallace wasn’t about to venture a guess as to who would be starting there.
“Right now, Knowledge and D’Anton are making good plays every day in practice. It’s hard to tell what’s going to happen over there. I think both of them are ready. I have faith and trust in either one of them. It’s going to be a matter of who’s working the hardest with the most consistency,” Wallace said.
Regardless of who gets the starting nod, the secondary will have a new look with all new starters back there.
During the summer, Wallace said, the group will work at getting their timing down and developing some chemistry.
“I feel things are going good. People are coming together, jelling together. The safety and corners are really communicating on the field, more than we did in the beginning. We’re understanding how each other plays. I think we’re bonding well with each other,” Wallace said.
In addition to working with the secondary all summer long, Wallace will spend time in the weight room and watching film. He will work on getting ready for fall because the secondary — while a work in progress — will be an important part of the defense.
“We’re important, we’re the last resort,” Wallace said. “The only thing behind us is the goal line.”
Jordan Hill almost went to Rutgers, then Pitt, before landing at PSU.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Class of 2009: Jordan Hill
Sometimes, a decision isn’t as easy as it appears.
Steel-High defensive tackle Jordan Hill had his mind all made up. After decommitting from Rutgers a few weeks before, Hill was all but ready to switch his verbal commitment to Pittsburgh.
Oh, he was ready.
Enter Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
It was mid-December, and Johnson had recently learned of Hill’s decommitment from Rutgers and was once again interested. He took the short trip from State College to Harrisburg to meet with Hill’s coach and pick up film. One day later, Hill had his offer.
The only question in Hill’s mind from that point, is how long it would take for him to accept it. Hill waited it out until Jan. 3, when he made his decision official.
“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “After I got the offer it was pretty much over with. I love being up there. Not just for the games, but the atmosphere and the college life up there. After my sophomore year I went up to a camp just as a regular person. I did real good, and I was going up against competition of the seniors up there, and they took notice of that. I was with the fullbacks and linebackers, because that’s what I played at that time, and they told me that I would be playing with my hand down, and they liked my athleticism. After the camp, a few weeks after it, I got a letter saying that I was invited to all the home games that year.”
Hill grew from a 240-pound linebacker to a 290-pound defensive tackle in between his junior and senior years, and earned offers from Rutgers and Pittsburgh in the spring. He committed to the Scarlet Knights in June in order to focus on his senior season.
He then led the Rollers in tackles in 2008 with with 117, 41 of which were behind the line of scrimmage, and 12 sacks. He also returned three interceptions for touchdowns on the year. He was named the Pennsylvania Class A Player of the Year, and was a first team all-state selection, as he led the Rollers to their second consecutive state title.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or publisher.
