Penn State’s seniors reflect on careers, legacies ahead of final game at Beaver Stadium
Penn State’s class of 16 seniors will be honored Saturday afternoon, during the annual pregame Senior Day ceremony, against Rutgers — and there’ll be a lot to celebrate.
This class has racked up 40 career wins, the most since 2009. A victory over the Scarlet Knights and this will be the winningest senior class since the 41-win class of 1997. The current group’s accolades have been plentiful: They won a Big Ten championship, made a Rose Bowl appearance, won the Fiesta Bowl and saw Penn State reach as high as No. 2 in the rankings — the Nittany Lions’ best spot since 1999.
Penn State is again one of the nation’s top programs, and that’s thanks in no small part to this senior class. Among the 16 who will be honored Saturday are Nick Bowers, Cam Brown, Weston Carr, Dan Chisena, Nick Eury, Blake Gillikin, Steven Gonzalez, Jan Johnson, Hunter Kelly, Colton Maxwell, John Reid, Michael Shuster, Garrett Taylor, Justin Tobin, Robert Windsor and Jake Zembiec.
Throughout the past week, seven of those 16 seniors were made available to the media to talk about their final home game. So here’s what they said about their Penn State experience and what it’s going to be like running through that tunnel one final time:
DT Robert Windsor
Games played/games started: 50/24
Career stats: 114 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
On how much he’s thought about running through the tunnel one last time: “Not too much, but I have realized it. Like when I drive home, I drive past the stadium and I’m like, ‘Man, one last time in here.’ It’s like, dang; it’s crazy.”
On the favorite memory of his career: “There’s a lot of good; there’s just as many bad, and a lot of growth. So you said my one memory? Winning the Big Ten. There’s nothing like that. It’s a magical experience. Overwhelming, uncontrollable joy because it’s something you worked hard for your whole life. Like, investing and getting up early and working, and then you get to college and you’re invested even more, and then you finally get the fruit from the tree you planted. And it just tastes so good.”
LB Jan Johnson
Games played/games started: 31/24
Career stats: 143 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 pass deflections
On what Senior Day means to him: “It’s kind of sad that you’re not going to go out there in front of 100,000 and play again. It’s your last game. It’s a great opportunity, but it sinks in that you know it’s going to be your last one.”
On how he wants to be remembered: “That I was just a guy, that I sacrificed a lot and that I did everything to help my teammates, and help this university and this team get better. And just played to the best of my ability out there.”
On what he’s learned the last two years: “Maybe that you just got to continue to work hard and good things will happen to you. You just keep pushing, keep grinding. Make sure that you know everything you’re supposed to know and then be where you’re supposed to be, and gain the trust of the coaches so they knew they can count on you to be where you’re supposed to be on the defense. Just don’t give up what your dreams are and just keep fighting.”
OL Steven Gonzalez
Games played/games started: 48/40
Career stats: N/A (Honorable mention all-conference in 2018)
On summing up his time at PSU: “It’s been an amazing ride. Five years has gone by really fast. Just the other day, it feels like I was stepping on campus as a freshman somewhere and now I’m having my Senior Day, having graduated last fall. It’s all kind of surreal to me, and I was able to enjoy it this last year, and it’s been a heck of a year.”
On what it took him to get to this point: “It took a lot of effort, sacrifice — that’s just kind of the way it is for everyone. But I went from being a third-string left guard my second year to starting for three years and having this be my 41st career start. It’s been a long road, and it’s been a lot of work, a lot of patience, a lot of sacrifice. I’m happy with the result; I’m happy with everything I’ve been able to accomplish.”
LB Cam Brown
Games played/games started: 49/24
Career stats: 189 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 10 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 block
On whether it’s hit him he’s about to play his final home game: “Honestly, I think it didn’t hit me. I think it’s hitting me currently, honestly. I’ve been thinking about it, the process, just everything going through it. It’s going to be an emotional weekend for me, mentally at least, but the game of football is about containing those emotions and playing the game. That’s my biggest thing this weekend is focusing and being able to channel myself to play in this game.”
On how he wants to be remembered: “Honestly, I want to be; I always think about this. I want to be remembered as a guy that played hard all the time, fought through what he could fight through, and tried to be out there for his team. I try to push, tried to lead this year, and granted, it didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, but I feel like that part is going to at least stay in the locker room. The guys will know that I always fought for them, even with the coaches. I fought for the coaches in the locker room, I fought for the players with the coaches, and I feel like if that’s what I can leave here with, I’m good.”
TE Nick Bowers
Games played/games started: 24/2
Career stats: 17 catches, 279 receiving yards, 5 TDs
On whether this season is validation after an injury-riddled career: “Yeah. I mean, I just know that this year was my first time being completely healthy, and I just wanted to make the most of it. And I tried to, whenever my name was called, make plays and do whatever I could to help the team win.”
On what his anticipation and emotions are like for Saturday’s game: “I’m kind of excited but, at the same time, you never want to leave this kind of program. I know what I have here and how special it is, but I am looking forward to running out of that tunnel one last time and hearing the crowd cheer. It’s definitely the best environment in college football, and I’m going to miss it.”
On the favorite moment of his career: “My favorite moment was probably scoring my first touchdown in Beaver Stadium (on Nov. 18, 2017, against Nebraska). It was always a dream of mine to play here, and I finally got the opportunity to score. And the whole sideline was going crazy, and I can still picture that in my head. Everyone high-fiving me and stuff like that. That was definitely my favorite moment.”
S Garrett Taylor
Games played/games started: 49/23
Career stats: 153 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 14 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries
On how he hopes to be remembered: “I think first and foremost, I just want to be remembered as a great teammate, as a guy who people on the team felt like they could come to for whatever, whether it’s personal issues, football issues. I want to be a guy that people found approachable and helpful in their times of need. I think that’s first and foremost the most important thing to me, especially being a captain this year.
“Then on the field, a guy who gave it my all. I put a lot into this, a lot into this school, into this football program, so I want people to think I was a guy who went out there every Saturday and gave it my best shot. Hopefully people think I was consistent and had a pretty decent career here. I’d say that.”
On whether he’s thought about the emotions walking through the tunnel on final time: “I can’t really speak for anyone else, but I don’t know. I think I’m going to; I think I’m the kind of guy who likes to think I’ll be OK, but I have really no clue when it’s going to happen, especially with my parents being down there on the field. I think that’s going to be pretty special. So, I’ll see. It’s kind of weird thinking about it, but I’m excited just to have one last chance to get out there in Beaver and play in front of 100,000-some people. It’s been a heck of a journey and I’m super appreciative of it, but yeah, I’ll see. I have no clue.”
P Blake Gillikin
Games played/games started: 51/51
Career stats: 232 punts, 42.9 yard average, 22 touchbacks, 96 inside the 20, 61 fair-catches, 52 that went 50+ yards
On what Senior Day means to him: “It’s pretty surreal, just sitting here the last couple of years watching it happen. You never think it’s going to happen to you. But, yeah, the last couple of games it started to kind of enter my mind. And, obviously, Saturday’s going to be the last time running out of the tunnel, but it’s something I can experience with my parents and my family — so it’s obviously really, really special to have them on the field with me.
“But it’s going to be tough, walking out of the stadium for the last time with a uniform on. But I know I really maximized my four years here, my career, so it’s bittersweet. But I’m really proud of how the last four years have gone, and it’s more of a reflection than kind of feeling disappointment. So I’m looking forward to Saturday and playing in my last game, for sure.”
