Football

Ex-Little Lions begin prepping for next level

By Vinny Pezzimenti

There's a decent possibility Emmitt Terrell will be downright sick of running by the time August 17 rolls around. That's when the former State College standout reports to Cornell for his first college practice.

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In the meantime, Terrell will continue the rigorous summer conditioning and lifting regimen Cornell planned for him.

One particularly interesting workout goes like this: It starts with a 15-second all-out sprint, followed by a 45-second jog, then back to the 15-second sprint. The cycle is continued for 15 minutes. No rests. No water. No mercy.

“It’s grueling,” Terrell said. “But it whips you into real good shape.”

Terrell’s former high school teammate, Rob Stupar, takes part in a similar breath-and-leg-busting routine, brought to him by Youngstown State, where he begins practice on Aug. 4. Stupar runs the length of the field 10 times, is granted a short reprieve, then is back at it for another 10. Again and again.

The University of Buffalo-bound Jake Reeder, another former star Little Lion, didn’t provide any great detail on his conditioning encounters. He has just come to understand how imperative the act is.

“From what I’ve been hearing from everybody I’ve ever talked to who has played at the next level, it’s the running that you have to get ready for,” Reeder said. “I’ve really been concentrating on that and I’m still going to concentrate on that the rest of the summer, along with lifting.”

Football is unequivocally the most physically and mentally demanding sport to prepare to play. The three most high profile State College freshmen footballers- to-be can attest to that.

They received their first dose of what life in college football might present last week. Each participated in prestigious all-star games — Stupar in the Big 33 Classic, and Terrell and Reeder in the PSFCA East-West Game — spending a week practicing and interacting with fellow college-bound players.

“The Big 33 game helped me get a little tougher and got me used to the good competition I’ll see at the collegiate level,” Stupar said.

Of course, plenty of unknowns still exist. It extends from playing time, surroundings, course work, and teammates and coaches they have only spent scant time with.

“It’s my future. I’m anxious for it,” said Reeder, who reports for practice on Aug. 8. “I’m anticipating trying to figure out what I need to expect and what I need to be doing for it. Just getting ready.”

Getting ready? Terrell seems to be on top of the prep work.

“I’m taking a three-credit summer course here just to take the pressure off that transition phase so I can get my head on straight with things,” Terrell said.

And the course isn’t exactly basket-weaving 101. It’s chemistry at Penn State. What else would you expect from an individual set to embark on an education at an Ivy League school where one must take at least 15 credits worth of classes a semester to graduate?

Terrell will only strengthen the Little Lions’ Ivy League link. Five State College products played at league schools last season, including Doug Suhey, Matt Kenney and Ben Ganter, who will be Terrell’s teammates with the Big Red. Brady and Brook Hart played at Yale.

They have provided Terrell, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound defensive end, sound advice.

“Mostly what I’m hearing is to just be ready for a little change in the speed,” Terrell said. “It’s going to be different going against the guys who are the best players at high school but from all over the nation. It’s a different crop of talent. The game is faster.

“I’m also going to be going up against guys that are 6-6 and 300 pounds — guys that are a lot bigger than what I’m typically used to seeing.”

Stupar, a 6-foot, 235-pound fullback, has also received plenty of guidance. Older brothers Jon, a tight end with Virginia and now the Buffalo Bills, and Nathan, a linebacker at Penn State, have been there and done that.

“They’ve given me advice throughout the whole recruiting experience,” Stupar said. “It’s just been awesome having them help me through this experience.”

Youngstown is a NCAA Football Subdivision power. But with expected starting fullback Kyle Banna recovering from spring knee surgery, Stupar might be asked to contribute right away.

“I’m really looking forward to getting up there and getting to know the guys and also getting to know how they run things,” Stupar said. “Just getting used to the system.

“They’re looking for me to step in and compete early. I’m excited about that.”

Reeder will join a program on the rise, one that won the Mid-American Conference championship game and played in the International Bowl last season. The Buffalo coaches told the 6-5, 250- pound tight end to play as many sports as possible. He participated in outdoor track this spring.

This summer, Reeder will lift four days a week depending, of course, on how much of that taxing running he has to keep up with.

“It’s rigorous,” Reeder said of Buffalo’s workout regimen. “They try to work every muscle in your body. It’s just real strenuous, but the benefits are clear.”

Vinny Pezzimenti is a sports writer for the Centre Daily Times. He can be reached at 231-4629 or vpezzime@centredaily.com