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Pro football

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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PITTSTON – Hands large and small pawed at the other side of the two-way mirror, trying somehow to find an angle to see inside the room.

Even if they could, Paul Posluszny was still mostly out of sight, obscured by a tower of footballs, helmets, jerseys and other objects to sign.

Getting used to summer mini-camps was one thing, but the former Penn State star’s first major autograph session was looking just as daunting.

The line inside Ken Pollock Chevrolet had already filled the perimeter of the showroom, with the back of it starting to mingle with the front.

If sales are any indication, Posluszny is going to have to get used to this sort of thing – his new No. 51 Buffalo jersey is already the highest selling product of any kind on the Bills’ online store.

The whole thing is still a little weird for him.

“Yeah, yeah, it really is,” Posluszny said with an almost embarrassed laugh when told about the popularity of his uniform.

“It’s definitely a good thing. Now I just gotta try and do something during the regular season,” he joked.

Bills fans can be forgiven if they’ve already got some high expectations for Posluszny, who was taken with the 34th pick overall in April’s NFL draft. The two-time Bednarik Award winner for best defensive player in the country is expected to challenge for Buffalo’s starting spot at middle linebacker, where he played in his final season for the Nittany Lions.

Plus, things worked out pretty well for the franchise the last time it drafted a PSU linebacker this high – Shane Conlan won defensive rookie of the year for the Bills in 1987 and went on to play in three Pro Bowls.

It’s a lofty comparison, but one Posluszny is particularly familiar with, having donned Conlan’s No. 31 at Penn State from his sophomore year to senior year.

Still, the Aliquippa native isn’t heading into his rookie season with a set of goals or milestones he’d like to reach.

“I haven’t set anything specific,” Posluszny said. “Going into the season, I just want to be prepared as well as I can be and be just ready to do whatever my job for the team is. I just want to be able to say that I’m 100 percent physically and mentally.”

The transition is still a tricky one for Posluszny, who just got through the last of the Bills mini-camps this past week and now has some time off before training camp starts at the end of July at St. John Fisher College in Rochester.

To help out, Posluszny said he still talks often with some of his old Penn State coaches, namely defensive coordinator Tom Bradley and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden.

“The rookie mini-camp, it wasn’t easy, but it was similar to college,” Posluszny said. “Then once we got into it and the veterans showed up, that’s when it really hits you and you realize things are going to be a lot different from what you’re used to in college.

“The whole atmosphere, the pace of practice, the amount of material you have to learn very quickly – those are the main differences you experience right away.”

Sibling rivalry

There might very well be high school players in Western Pennsylvania who will look to Posluszny’s Penn State career and try to follow in his footsteps.

His brother David, however, is looking to make his own path on the NCAA scene.

Having just finished his junior year at Hopewell High School, David Posluszny – also a linebacker – has already given a verbal commitment to sign with Notre Dame in February, choosing the Fighting Irish early on in the recruiting process.

“You know, he wanted to do something different than what I did,” Posluszny said of his brother. “I obviously would’ve liked for him to go to Penn State, and I know he really liked it there and liked coach Bradley a lot recruiting him, but Notre Dame just seemed to be a perfect fit for him.”