Tony Rojas walked into Big Ten Media Days looking like a player who’s ready to start over.
That makes sense, because in a lot of ways, he is. The Penn State linebacker has been cleared to go full-speed for training camp in early August, a major step forward 10 months after he tore his ACL. For Rojas, the timing couldn’t be better.
Penn State coach Matt Campbell said Rojas is in a “great spot” healthwise, and that matters for a defense that lost its footing after his injury. Before the setback, Rojas was one of the Nittany Lions’ most productive defenders. Through four games, he had 25 tackles, 4.5 for loss and two sacks.
His absence was felt immediately. Penn State had allowed just 8.5 points per game in regulation over the first four weeks, a stretch that included three non-conference games. After Rojas went down, that number jumped to 24.4.
Rojas didn’t hide how much the injury and the collapse around it hit him.
“I just definitely [learned], don't take the sport for granted,” Rojas said. “I felt at the time like it was just taken from me, which was devastating. I just learned and battled through, and I leaned on my loved ones, and they helped me go through this.
“But at the end of the day, I just try to focus on myself. I just try to get immensely stronger. And at the end of the day, my mom has gone through a lot, and shoutout to her, but she's gone through more than me, so I knew I could get through the season.”
Now he says the version of himself coming back is better than the one that got hurt.
“I'm going to be a better linebacker this year,” Rojas said. “I feel more than 100 percent, and I just feel stronger, faster - I just feel better now.
I'm just going to put it all on the table this year. I'm really just doing this for myself.
Not really the outside noise. I'm proving myself right, and just knowing myself the past few years, I know I'm just going to put everything else for this year together.
I think I'm going to put a show on.”
Rojas sounded energized Tuesday, saying he’s “super excited” and “amped” to get back on the field with his teammates. He also said he wants to step into more of a leadership role this season.
That part matters, too. The redshirt junior is entering his fourth season of college football and has already worked under four defensive coordinators - Manny Diaz, Tom Allen, Jim Knowles and now D’Anton Lynn. That kind of turnover gives him a different perspective from a lot of his teammates, especially the ones adjusting to a new system for the first time.
Rojas said Lynn’s approach has stood out because it’s more deliberate.
“Coach Lynn has done a great job of going slowly and not just teaching us how to do it but teaching the why, which I think is important for us as defenders. … In past years it’s been kind of like a rush to get the defense installed, but this year he’s taking the time, and we’re getting to know it very well.
… He’s just doing a great job being a leader himself, even coming back to us and asking for advice so he can get better as a coach. At the end of the day, he wants to call the plays that we’re best at, not that he likes.
And I think that’s a big change for us, because the last couple years, and even last year, it was kind of just call plays that the coach wanted rather than what us players are best at. And I think that will be a big plus for us this year.”
Campbell also pointed to versatility as a strength on that side of the ball, and Rojas fits that mold. He can play all three linebacker spots, and he’s already talked with Lynn about how he can be used.
“We've had some talks about what I could do, and I told him I just want to blitz,” Rojas said. “I want to be off the edge, even off the ball, whatever it may be. I think I'm just at my best when I play fast, and he's going to put me in a position to do so.”
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