How will Penn State LB Jesse Luketa fill the shoes of Micah Parsons? Here’s how he’s approaching 2020
It doesn’t matter whether Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa is in the weight room, the film room or on the field. The same seven words are always running through his mind.
How are you going to be remembered?
“It’s been ingrained into my head,” the projected first-year starter said Thursday during an online news conference with reporters. “It doesn’t matter if it’s our individual periods or competition periods or team periods, it’s the same mindset. It keeps me hungry, so I keep that little chip on my shoulder.”
For now, Luketa realizes he’s best remembered as the replacement to Micah Parsons, the Nittany Lions’ former weakside linebacker who’s a potential top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Luketa doesn’t much mind the comparisons — “I’m comfortable with it,” he added — because that’s not what drives him.
Sure, Parsons was a potential Heisman candidate. And, yes, defensive coordinator Brent Pry said last year Parsons was among the nation’s best. But Luketa isn’t trying to be Micah Parsons; with a smile and a buttoned-up Penn State polo, he said he’s simply trying to be “among the greats.” He’s trying to be remembered long after his playing days.
“The only thing I’m concerned about moving forward is how people are going to remember Jesse Luketa,” he said. “That’s what wakes me up day in and day out.”
Teammates and coaches say that mindset has been evident this offseason. Fellow linebacker Ellis Brooks said Luketa’s one of the team’s hardest workers, Pry called him an “animal” in the mold of current NFL’er Jason Cabinda, and linebacker Lance Dixon said he’s arguably the group’s hardest-hitter.
This moment has been a long time coming for Luketa. Last summer, strength coach Dwight Galt said Luketa was responsible for “one of the greatest improvements” he had ever seen in an athlete — after increasing his max bench from 245 to 360 pounds and lowering his 40-yard dash time from 4.92 to 4.68. Luketa didn’t get a chance this week to share his revised numbers but, with a six-pound weight loss from last season, to 241 pounds, he’s only expected to be quicker.
“He’s able to move quick laterally, he’s explosive, and he’s able to get out of situations that not only me, but even a few other of our linebackers may not be able to get out of when dealing with multiple linemen,” linebacker Brandon Smith said. “He’s very strategic about the way he uses his hands and being able to decipher off the blocks.”
Ask Luketa how this LB corps can overcome a talented loss like Parsons, and the junior won’t hesitate. He responded instantly Thursday: Just check out last year’s Maryland game.
In that game, a 59-0 dismantling of the Terrapins, Parsons was ejected in the first quarter for targeting. But Brooks and Luketa both stepped up in his absence, with Luketa finishing with five solo stops and a pass breakup and Brooks ending with six tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Parsons, a consensus All-American, will obviously be missed. But Luketa said he’s used that game as an example to the backup linebackers, like redshirt freshman Lance Dixon and redshirt sophomore Charlie Katshir, to be ready at all times. “I tell my guys day in and day out when we work, who’s next?” Luketa said. “Who’s next?”
With three new starters at linebacker — Brooks replacing Jan Johnson at MLB; Smith taking over for Cam Brown on the strongside — this will be a new-look corps. But the biggest question falls to Luketa in taking over for Parsons, who declared early for the NFL draft and opted out of his junior season.
Luketa said he talks every day with his former teammate. And he’s even watched his film for tips that that don’t come over phone call or text.
In fact, during the peak of the pandemic, watching film of Penn State’s greats was one of Luketa’s favorite pastimes. He checked out Paul Posluszny’s motor, Sean Lee’s toughness and Mike Hull’s quickness. (He also mentioned NaVorro Bowman, Mike Mauti and Cabinda.)
He’s trying to incorporate all of them into his game — and he has the ear of Penn State great LaVar Arrington, widely regarded as Linebacker U’s best-ever linebacker. The two trained together in Los Angeles — and Luketa said Arrington is the one that drilled being remembered into his head.
So, no, Luketa doesn’t mind being compared to Parsons. Parsons was great, and Luketa demands greatness of himself so, he said, it seems only natural. After all, Parsons did leave Luketa with some important parting advice.
“He told me it’s my turn to do what I got to do here,” Luketa said, before adding: “That’s all I’m focused on doing — leaving my legacy.”
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
