Matt Campbell isn’t handing out gameday spots just because Penn State has a deep roster.
As the Nittany Lions prepare to head to Lincoln Financial Field this weekend for Temple in Philadelphia, Campbell made it clear that dressing and traveling are earned privileges, not automatic perks tied to a player’s place on the depth chart or his class standing.
“We’re not into dressing everybody. You’ve got to earn the right to to dress, and you got to earn the right to go.
And so, you know, I think from our end of it, part of that earning it is the ability to get yourself on the travel squad,” Campbell said. “I think that’s one of the real bonuses we have right now going on in the program.
There is a lot of depth, and I know it doesn’t matter really who you are. You’ve got to come to practice every day and earn the right to start.
You’ve got to earn the right to play in the game on Saturday.”
Campbell said that approach is part of the point. The depth Penn State showed in its season opener is not just about having options; it creates competition throughout the roster and pushes players to stay sharp every day.
“That’s the thing that probably we’re excited about,” Campbell said. “It’s nice to have that kind of depth because when you have that, there’s urgency in how you practice every day because you know it’s getting graded and you know it’s giving you the right to get on the field or it’s the right to travel with the football team.”
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Before Penn States next matchup, Matt Campbell found himself back in a different playoff setting altogether, one that still carries a sting more than two decades later. He was a defensive end for Mt. Union in a 1999 NCAA Division III semifinal against Rowan, a game coached by K.C. Keeler that went to overtime and snapped Mt. Unions long winning streak while ending its run at another title.
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