Penn State

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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Another quiet fall abruptly went by the wayside.

The anonymity never bothered Tyrell Sales. No, that just went with the territory of playing alongside All-Americans like Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor and Sean Lee.

Even headed into his fifth and final year at Penn State, Sales was perfectly content that Lee would be in the spotlight.

A torn ACL changed those plans.

With Lee sitting out the season to rehab his knee, Sales must now not only be the leader of the linebackers, but one of the leaders of the defense.

“I don’t think I’m putting much pressure on myself,” said the laid-back Sales. “Physically I’m great. I’m just taking that extra step mentally and looking at film and being prepared. A lot of it is mental, getting ready for everything on the field.”

For the Nittany Lions defense to improve, Sales will have to go beyond just preparing himself. Two new starters – junior walk-on Josh Hull and sophomore Bani Gbadyu – will join him for today’s season opener against Coastal Carolina, with three more sophomores comprising the second team.

While Lee will still be around the team all season to help with the mentoring, he won’t be able to be on the field when it matters most.

And that’s where coach Joe Paterno expects Sales to step in.

“The kid who really has come to the front who’s got a lot of ability, but I don’t know whether he realizes it, is Sales,” Paterno said. “Sales is the only senior we have in that linebacker group. He’s gotta – I don’t know – everybody’s got a personality of their own, and sometimes people just wait for an opportunity to step to the front. Maybe that’s what Sales has to do.”

It’s not uncommon for Paterno to give a player a little nudge through the media. He tends to save it for players he thinks can handle a little public scrutiny.

Behind the scenes, Paterno hasn’t been as direct with Sales, but the linebacker said he understands the ploy.

“He told me before spring ball, ‘This is going to be your year,’ but he never put that kind of pressure on me,” Sales said. “He knows that I understand what’s going on. I know he’s not calling me out, but obviously he’s going to give some hints here and there in the media.

“I’m aware of the situation. It’s my fifth year and he wants me to step up.”

While Sales downplayed his contributions thus far in preseason, his teammates have noticed a change.

It started with him becoming more vocal and more active in practice.

Fellow fifth-year senior Josh Gaines, who typically has the oratory market cornered on defense, thinks Sales has really opened up.

“Definitely, definitely, definitely. He’s more vocal. He’s like a captain on the field, just without the title,” Gaines said. “People listen to him and he has everyone’s respect.

“He’s stepped up a lot this summer. He’s working hard to take advantage of it and turn it into a positive. He’s looks ready, he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in and we all expect big things from him.”

High expectations like those are nothing new for Sales, who was a four-star recruit out of Butler High School north of Pittsburgh. Last summer at this time, he was being counted on to join Connor and Lee after Posluszny was drafted by the NFL.

Starting in all but one game in 2007 (the Lions opened up once in a nickel package), Sales finished with 50 tackles (5.5 for loss), three sacks and a fumble recovery.

In Penn State’s Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M, Sales had one of his top performances, including a key 11-yard sack in a tight game.

His opportunities will almost certainly increase in 2008. As the only linebacker on the team with starting experience, he figures to stay on the field in obvious passing situations and when the Lions go to the nickel.

Sales hopes he can use the newfound exposure to catch the attention of NFL scouts. But regardless of what happens beyond 2008, he’s going to relish being a senior linebacker at Penn State.

“It’s definitely an unbelievable opportunity,” Sales said. “As a little kid, you always think about going to a university that has a lot of history and help them win. To be playing linebacker at Penn State – Linebacker U – is a great honor.

“I’ve seen the guys before me and the seniors asked to lead the team, and to be in same breath as those guys and have that kind of impact … I don’t want to regret anything. So I approach every day like it’s my last.”