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psu football

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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STATE COLLEGE — For the third straight summer, it seems A.J. Wallace won’t be running out of the tunnel for the season opener as a starter.

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During Penn State’s media day at Beaver Stadium on Thursday, Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno said he may suspend senior cornerback A.J. Wallace for cutting classes.

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Joe Paterno enjoys a laugh with the media just before the start of a press conference on Thursday.

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Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Thursday at the team’s media day that he may suspend the senior cornerback when the 2009 season kicks off against Akron on Sept. 5 at Beaver Stadium.

“Yeah, I told A.J. I might not play him in a game or two because he cut classes,” Paterno said. “If he cuts any more classes, he won’t play. I think you gotta send a message. No sense sending a message if somebody isn’t a player. He’s obviously one of our better players.

“I think he’ll be all right. Now, when I’ll play him will depend on what I hear back from our academic advisors, and find out whether he’s going to class and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do academically. If he does, then we’ll think about when we want to play him.”

At Big Ten media days in Chicago last month, Paterno suggested that Wallace’s future with the team was unclear because of his lack of attention to academics.

Given a chance to respond on Thursday, Wallace took full responsibility for missing classes.

“I didn’t have any reasons for it,” Wallace said. “It was a stupid mistake on my part. I guess I gotta face the consequences.”

A highly touted recruit, Wallace saw time as a true freshman in 2006 and his impressive athleticism seemingly made him a favorite to start at cornerback in 2007 and 2008. But because of nagging hamstring injuries and inconsistency, he was beaten out both times by Lydell Sargeant.

With Sargeant and the rest of the starting secondary from last year departed, Wallace was again penciled in on the first team headed into this season before academic issues struck in the offseason.

Wallace finished the summer academically eligible for the upcoming season and has been practicing with the team since preseason camp opened at the start of the week.

As is traditionally the case with players in Paterno’s doghouse, however, Wallace has currently been demoted to third-string.

Currently running with the first team are fifth-year senior Knowledge Timmons and true sophomore D’Anton Lynn. At the moment, those two are easily the top candidates for playing time at corner should Wallace miss any time.

The Nittany Lions have precious little depth at cornerback heading into the season. Two players who were expected to battle for a spot on the two-deep depth chart – Devin Fentress and Darrell Givens – will not be with the team.

Paterno said Thursday that Fentress had graduated and will not return for his fifth year of eligibility. Givens, a promising incoming freshman from Maryland, reportedly did not meet Penn State’s entrance requirements and has since enrolled at Rutgers.

Players at media day said the current second team at corner is true freshman Derrick Thomas and junior walk-on Shelton McCullough.

In other words, the Lions are counting on Wallace to work his way back up the ladder.

Wallace said Paterno and defensive coordinator Tom Bradley have both made it clear what they expect from him on and off the field heading into the fall.

“They just want me to come in and play, and show them that I’m ready to come back and play,” Wallace said. “I really didn’t get a chance to do much this summer.

“I’m just coming out to camp everyday, just going hard so (Paterno) can see that I’m committed to the team. Hopefully he sees that, and by the first game I’m able to play.”