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发帖数: 2682 | 1 2013排名第1/2的TE Recruit，ESPN Insider对他的访谈。比较长，但有不少有价值的
信息。
Through a tumultuous run of transfers, decommitments and NCAA sanctions,
ESPN 150 four-star tight end Adam Breneman (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) has
remained a constant for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State fans have already embraced Breneman as a leader, and the 6-foot-4
, 229-pounder has said he's finished looking at other schools. He's heading
to Happy Valley, and he appears to be one of the gems of Penn State's 2013
recruiting class, along with ESPN 150 No. 1 quarterback Christian Hackenberg
(Fork Union, Va./Fork Union Military Academy).
NittanyNation recently caught up with the player ranked No. 1 at his
position and No. 49 overall in the nation to talk about his ACL tear, why he
remains committed to the Blue and White and what he thinks about Penn State
's decommitments.
NittanyNation: You tore your ACL over the summer and underwent surgery July
10. What's rehab been like, and what do you think about missing this season?
Adam Breneman: I'm in rehab every day, working hard to get back. I have a
long time of rehab ahead, but I feel good and I'm making a lot of progress.
I rehab each day a couple hours with lots of lifting. I want to be as strong
as I can, and I'm also helping out with my team. I'm still the captain. ...
I'll make a full recovery by 2013.
NN: Because of that injury, has there been much talk about redshirting your
first season at Penn State?
AB: I talked about it with my family and coach [Bill] O'Brien, but we haven'
t decided yet. My goal was to play as a freshman, but it kind of depends on
my knee. I think most of my class is going to redshirt just because we'll
have two years then to play in a bowl game. It just depends on how things
progress.
NN: Have schools left you alone since you committed to PSU and have remained
very vocal about your loyalty? Do you still get overwhelmed by all the mail
?
AB: I still get a decent amount of mail. I got a few written offers from
other schools and, especially when the sanctions hit, contact really went up
. I got a lot of Facebook messages and stuff, but most schools have been
pretty respectful. They said If I want to look around, I have an offer from
them. But I think it's safe to say I'm not looking around anymore.
NN: Why are you still staying with Penn State? Why haven't all you recruits
jumped ship to play elsewhere?
AB: I mean, when we were on that trip a couple Saturdays ago with those six
commits, that ride really reminded us why we came in the first place -- and
it wasn't going to bowl games. I committed because of O'Brien and his NFL
experience and playing in front of 108,000 people and the fan base and that
education. And that's still there. Outside of football this is a great
opportunity, and I think coach O'Brien has a chance to show the world how
good a coach he is. As far as us players, I think it gives us a chance to do
something really special. We want to give the community hope.
NN: What's it like to watch Penn State commits, guys you figured you'd play
with, start defecting?
AB: It's definitely tough to see a lot of the commits leave because we've
gotten pretty close. I know it was tough for them; some of the kids would
call me in tears because they didn't know what to do. I can only say so much
to get them to stay. I told them I think you have to look at the bigger
picture. I think the opportunity here is such a great opportunity.
Obviously, you still have the coaching staff, and the staff can get you to
the NFL and you'll play in a pro-style system. Outside of football you have
the opportunity to be a legend in the community. If things don't work out
with football, getting a job as a Penn State alum won't be hard. I think
some players just thought about football, that they can't play for
championships. I mean, how many championships did Drew Brees play for in
college?
NN: What was the main reason you feel they decommitted?
AB: I think for a lot of guys -- I talked to [other players who have
remained committed], like Garrett [Sickels], Brendan [Mahon] and Christian [
Hackenberg], and where they live is not Penn State country. Where I live, my
decision to stay is the popular thing to do. If I decided to leave Penn
State, they wouldn't be happy with me. But for them, it's the opposite. For
them to leave is the popular thing. It's kind of a different community, and
you're influenced in different ways. Just the media and how negative they
are about Penn State, it does impact us. We're 17 years old. I just think
once a recruit sits down and talks to O'Brien and everything going on, I
just don't see how you could walk away from all this. I don't think guys
that are leaving see the bigger picture.
NN: Is Penn State a school you grew up wanting to play for? Was it really a
hard decision to head there?
AB: Yeah, I grew up a Penn State fan. I live about an hour-and-a-half away
from State College. I live in the heart of Penn State country; everything
here is Penn State football. But throughout the recruiting process, I tried
to separate being a player from being a fan. ... I wanted to go to a place
where I'd have the best chance of playing in the NFL, so I wasn't always
this high on Penn State as I am now. I respected them a lot before, but I
don't think their offense before would've done me as well.
NN: If you separated being a fan from a player, does that mean O'Brien was
the main reason you chose Penn State?
AB: I mean, if coach O'Brien leaves, I'm leaving, too. He's the guy holding
us all together. I think Mike Mauti said it best: He'd run through a burning
building for that guy. [O'Brien] made a commitment to us, so we want to
make a commitment to him. I believe him when he says he'll be there my whole
career.
NN: So you grew up in Penn State country. How many times did you sit in the
stands for a Penn State game, and who were some of your favorite players
growing up?
AB: Before my recruiting process, just going as a fan, probably double-digit
times. I'd go to a lot of games. Growing up, [quarterbacks] Daryll Clark
and Michael Robinson were two of my favorites. [Tight end] Kyle Brady, he
graduated from my high school so I've gotten to know him pretty well. [Wide
receiver] Derrick Williams is one of my favorites; my favorite player ever
is [wide receiver] Graham Zug. He reached out to me a a few times during my
recruitment, and I love following him. He's from Manheim Central. I also
liked [tight ends] Andrew Quarless and Mickey Shuler.
NN: You've been to a few practices now for the new coaching staff. How do
these compare to the ones you attended before the new staff was in place?
AB: Oh, practices are very high energy. It's very much a pro-style practice.
It's very efficient. You have music blasting from the loud speakers and, I
mean, it's definitely different. Guys just seem to be having a lot more fun.
NN: Have you been surprised at the outpouring of support you've received
from Penn State fans?
AB: Oh yeah, Penn State fans are just awesome. I can't say enough about how
much support I've gotten. Part of my decision to stay was to be a difference
-maker for these fans and to give them hope. I live in Penn State country,
so I have people stop and ask me for my autograph all the time. It's very
humbling, very overwhelming.
I've gotten emails from a fan in South America, from Colombia. I started a
charity a little bit ago, and I got hundreds of donations from Penn State
fans from Oregon, Nevada, all over the place. So just as a support system,
it shows how the Penn State fan base is.
NN: Are you and Christian Hackenberg aware so many fans are kind of relying
on you two to be leaders in this recruiting class right now? Do you sense
that?
AB: You try to stay humble about it, but Christian and I are aware of that.
Part of the decision for Christian and I to stay is for us to be leaders at
a time when leaders are really, really needed. Leadership failed a lot at
Penn State over the last 10, 20 years, and I think leaders are in need right
now. And the leaders they have right now are great. I met [university
president Rodney] Erickson on Wednesday, and he's awesome.
NN: What team goals and individual goals do you have in mind for when you
start your Penn State career?
AB: Team goal: I want to be competitive. It's going to be tougher; I'd be
kidding you if I said we'd be undefeated every year. But I want to win the
Big Ten [Leaders] Division. I guess we can't actually win it, but I want to
finish first. My goals individually: I've always had a goal to be the best.
I always strived to be the best. So my goal is to win the Mackey Award at
Penn State, to be the best tight end in college football. Hopefully, I can
achieve that.
NN: So are you going to visit any other schools this season, and how have
Penn State games stacked up against some others you saw?
AB: I'm not going to visit any other schools. I'll probably be at every Penn
State home game. Some of the other schools I visited, Notre Dame, USC —
that place is awesome. I was at Michigan State. I was at schools all around
my area: Maryland, Pitt, Virginia, Rutgers.
I visited Penn State for the Nebraska game after everything happened and
just to see how the fans completely surrounded the football team and
supported them in such a tough time, and to see that prayer before the game
and hear the crowd break out in "We Are ..." chants. It just reminded me how
special the Penn State community is.
It was just everything. That whole game really shook me up emotionally. It
was just amazing how passionate Penn State fans were, and how they
completely gave it all to their football program. Everyone relied on them,
and it showed how amazing Penn State fans are in the community. | w*****r
发帖数: 2061 | 2 Mauti最铁吧，相当fan
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【在 p******o 的大作中提到】
: 2013排名第1/2的TE Recruit，ESPN Insider对他的访谈。比较长，但有不少有价值的
: 信息。
: Through a tumultuous run of transfers, decommitments and NCAA sanctions,
: ESPN 150 four-star tight end Adam Breneman (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) has
: remained a constant for the Nittany Lions.
: Penn State fans have already embraced Breneman as a leader, and the 6-foot-4
: , 229-pounder has said he's finished looking at other schools. He's heading
: to Happy Valley, and he appears to be one of the gems of Penn State's 2013
: recruiting class, along with ESPN 150 No. 1 quarterback Christian Hackenberg
: (Fork Union, Va./Fork Union Military Academy).
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