Sports

TOM ROBINSON For The Times Leader

Matt McGloin’s status has not officially changed, but the quarterback from West Scranton feels like he clearly belongs as a part of the Penn State football roster.

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West Scranton’s Matt McGloin will open summer practice in a battle with Kevin Newsome for the second and third spots on the Penn State depth chart.

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“I’ll just try to go out and do my job,” said McGloin, who after a strong spring will open summer practice in a battle with Kevin Newsome for the second and third spots on the Penn State depth chart. “I feel I belong. The scholarship doesn’t phase me.

“I’m a Penn State football player.”

McGloin, who redshirted his first year as a preferred walk-on, proved that by capping spring practice with a strong performance in the Blue-White Game. He completed nine of 13 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to J.D. Mason on a third-and-goal from the 17 to cap a 79-yard drive.

“I knew I was capable of doing what I did in the Blue-White Game,” said McGloin, who also had a 28-yard run in the 21-16 White victory over the Blue. “I just wanted to show what I could do.”

McGloin succeeded in the difficult task of making an impression on the Penn State coaching staff last season while running the scout team offense, mimicking opponents in practice against the Nittany Lions starting defense.

“It’s tough,” McGloin said. “It can be frustrating at times, going against guys like Aaron Maybin, who’s a first-round draft pick and we’re a bunch of 18- and 19-year-old kids who are not that experienced.”

McGloin handled the assignment well enough that coaches trusted him to compete for the back-up job behind returning starter Daryll Clark. Throughout and after spring practice, head coach Joe Paterno and his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, made it clear that the battle between McGloin and highly regarded freshman Kevin Newsome is wide open.

Newsome arrived at school in January and also performed well in the Blue-White Game.

McGloin came to Penn State under entirely different circumstances. As a senior on West Scranton’s District 2 Class AAA championship team, McGloin drew interest from Penn State, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Mid-American Conference schools and the schools that formerly made up Division I-AA. He did not, however, receive any scholarship offers from the major schools that compete in the Bowl Championship Series.

After meeting with Penn State coaches, McGloin decided to take a chance to prove he could play at that level.

“Going there, you know you’re going to be pretty low on the totem pole,” McGloin said. “You try to make an impression right away and I think I did that.

“As the season went on, I think I gained more respect from coaches and players.”

McGloin no longer ranks so low at Penn State, which would appear to leave him open to a promotion to scholarship status, but he says that is not something he concerns himself with at this point.

McGloin will return to Penn State Sunday and start working out with the team while attending summer classes. Although officially undeclared, he plans to change that status and become a communications major.

Some communications skills will be needed on the field. After showing he can play with his Penn State teammates, McGloin knows he needs to show the capability of leading as a requirement of the quarterback position.

“I’m trying to mature more as a quarterback,” McGloin said. “I know that I’m only 19, but I have to step up as a leader on and off the field and continue to earn more respect from my teammates.”