If Vega Ioane gets a chance to see Stacy Collins at the Fiesta Bowl, he wants to thank him again.
Ioane might never have found his way to Penn State without Collins, who’s back at Boise State as assistant head coach, linebackers coach and special teams coordinator after spending the last two seasons with the Nittany Lions’ special teams.
When Ioane, a native of the Seattle area, de-committed from the University of Washington, Collins suggested he speak to Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.
Ioane wound up committing to the Lions in February 2022.
“I look forward to seeing him and talking to him,” Ioane said Thursday. “He definitely was the biggest part of me coming here. He’s a West Coast guy. He was the first one to talk to me. He got me out here. He got the coaches involved.
“I’m grateful for him and everything he’s done for me. I wouldn’t be at Penn State without him.”
Penn State (12-2) meets Boise State (12-1) in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal in the Fiesta Bowl Tuesday night at 7:30 (TV-ESPN) in Glendale, Ariz.
Collins is an Oregon native who spent his entire football coaching career in the Northwest before leaving Boise State to join the Penn State staff in January 2022.
In his first season with the Lions, Chris Stoll won the Patrick Mannelly Award as the nation’s top long snapper and Nick Singleton returned a kickoff for a 100-yard TD at Rutgers.
Last season, kicker Alex Felkins and Singleton received All-Big Ten recognition. Singleton averaged 25.5 yards per kickoff return during Collins’ two seasons at Penn State.
“Coach Collins is really good,” Singleton said. “He set a tone every time he stepped on the field. He’s always that energy guy. Everybody loves him. Everybody thinks he’s funny. I just can’t wait to see him again and to go up against him.”
Lions…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-notes-nittany-lions-044700778.html
Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.
Publish date : 2024-12-27 04:47:00
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