Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1492675
7 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M KEEPING THE FAITH Christian Hackenberg was one of several high-level prospects who stayed true to PSU during one of the program's darkest times O f the 264 scholarship football prospects who have signed with Penn State in the post-Paterno era, few have been more significant than Christian Hackenberg. A five-star quarterback out of Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, Hackenberg joined the Nittany Lions 10 years ago, part of a 2013 recruiting class that numbered 17 players and ranked 43rd in the country. His successors at quarterback — Trace McSorley and Sean Clifford — would go on to throw for more yards and win more games than Hackenberg. McSorley has a Big Ten champion- ship and has already enjoyed a longer career in the NFL than his predecessor, while Clifford quarterbacked PSU to a pair of New Year's Six bowl wins and will get his shot at making a pro roster later this summer. By those metrics, Hackenberg isn't an era-defining player. But the importance of his signing goes well beyond his on- field résumé (which was impressive in its own right). His deci- sion to attend Penn State when he could have gone to just about any school in the country helped brighten a dark era for the Nittany Lions and signaled to other prospects that State Col- lege was still a desirable place in which to play college football, in spite of the NCAA sanctions that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal and that many thought would consign the program to mediocrity or worse for years to come. Looking For Answers Rated the No. 1 drop-back quarterback prospect in the coun- try by ESPN.com, Hackenberg had thrown for 5,509 yards and 56 touchdowns at Fork Union and was weighing offers from Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and many more. He committed to Penn State in February 2012 after developing a bond with the Nittany Lions' new head coach, Bill O'Brien, who had worked with Tom Brady during his time as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator. M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M Hackenberg threw for 8,457 yards in his three seasons at Penn State, setting a school record that was later eclipsed by successors Trace McSorley and Sean Clifford. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL