Workouts at 5 a.m. might not bring out the best of moods, but when it came time for someone to step up in an early morning contest, Penn State guard John Urschel was ready to answer the call.
“Give me your biggest guy,” strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald shouted, looking for the offense and defense to produce a player each for “The Tug,” a circular weight with handles on each end used for a basic tug-of-war challenge. The defense sent out Nate Cadogan, and as offensive lineman Donovan Smith made his way out, Urschel stepped up and waved him aside.
“I got this,” he said, stepping up to challenge.
And he did. After a short struggle
