Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1410640
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M The midweek tweet, posted 11 days before Penn State's season opener at Wisconsin, had a simple message. Fifth-year senior safety Jaquan Brisker was pictured front and center, superimposed over the words "Takeaway King," a title he earned during preseason practice by creating the most turnovers of any Nittany Lion defender. It turned out that tweet was a harbinger of what was to come. In the final minutes of the Nittany Lions' opener, Brisker stepped in front of a Graham Mertz pass on fourth down at the Penn State goal line, securing an interception that helped seal a 16-10 victory. The play was indicative of Brisker's performance throughout camp, under the guidance of first-year Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. "I feel super comfortable, especially with Coach Dex in my corner, and him playing safety and teaching me what he's learned from the game and just things like that," Brisker said. "I feel super comfortable, and I'd say the differ- ence was just me focusing on the ball and catching it, then run." A mainstay of the Nittany Lion defense last season, the second-year starter isn't entirely unfamiliar with turnover opportunities, of course. But he had just one interception in Penn State's COVID-amended 2020 season, a takeaway during the Michigan State game at the end of the regular season that he im- mediately turned back over to the Spartans. This year, with the heart of the Big Ten season looming, he intends to make turnovers a more consistent element of his game. And to do so, he said, he's changed his approach on a fundamental level. "I think last year it was more me trying to return it before I caught it," Brisker said, "so it's more just [a matter of] focusing on the ball, catching it, then run. It's just the extra activities I do after practice and off the field, catching JUGS or having one of my teammates like Tariq Castro-Fields throwing footballs around and things like that." Given their production a season ago, the Nittany Lions will be counting on not only Brisker to increase his takeaways but also each of his teammates on the defensive side of the ball. A year ago, the Nittany Lions managed only four interceptions in nine games — one apiece by Brisker, linebacker Brandon Smith, safety Lamont Wade and cornerback Keaton Ellis. The Lions also had five fumble recoveries, for a total of nine takeaways in nine games. This year, they had three takeaways in their first game alone. In addition to Brisker's interception, they got a game-clinching pick from senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown and a fumble recovery from redshirt junior defensive end Nick Tarburton. One of the nation's most highly touted safeties entering the 2021 campaign, Brisker isn't letting the expectations distract him from going out on the field and turning them into a reality this fall. Returning for a bonus year thanks to the NCAA's decision to extend the eligibility of all participants in the 2020 sea- son, Brisker intends to make the most of his opportunity. "I like to show what I can do, especially this year," he said. "It's going be a little different, but I like to show what I can do and just block out all the outside noise and that's pretty much it. I just take it day by day and just stay humble." — Nate Bauer Ball-Hawking Safety Jaquan Brisker Lifts Nittany Lions' Secondary Brisker began his final college season by coming up with a key interception in the Nittany Lions' victory at Wisconsin. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL