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Penn State's Barnes is refining his approach

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Deion Barnes began last season in a struggle to learn his responsibilities as a Penn State defensive end.

Penn State coach Bill O'Brien. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Penn State coach Bill O'Brien. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)Read more

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Deion Barnes began last season in a struggle to learn his responsibilities as a Penn State defensive end.

When first seeing action in a game, "I had no idea what I was going to do at all," he recalled Thursday.

But the Philadelphia native learned quickly, and combined with his physical strength and athletic ability, he was named Big Ten freshman of the year. Being recognized as the best in a conference full of talented freshmen should have touched off a lengthy celebration, but Barnes didn't spend much time rejoicing.

"It was a good thing. It humbled me," Barnes, a former star at Northeast High, said Thursday at the Nittany Lions' media day. "But at the end of the day, I have another season and I have to go out there and do better. So it was a good day or two. I didn't ask for that. Now I've got to get to work."

It appears as if the 6-foot-4 Barnes, a redshirt sophomore, has been working since the December day he won the award. At 246 pounds, he is about the same weight as last year, but he possesses less body fat and more muscle.

He established himself last season as a pass rusher, finishing with six sacks and 10 tackles for losses. But he worked diligently in the offseason on ways to better defend against the run, spending time on technique with his teammates at Penn State's practice fields to just "sharpen up some tools," he said.

"The experience is helping me this year," he said. "Now I can see plays and see what they're going to do from the start, like certain motions and certain formations. Before, I wasn't worried about that, I was only worried about getting off the ball. Now I can see certain things they're going to do to get an advantage."

Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said Barnes is "a dynamic player, and I'm very glad he's on our team."

"First of all, football is very, very important to him," O'Brien said. "It's something that he has a passion for. Secondly, he's an excellent athlete.

"He's big and strong, and he's become even stronger and more physical in our weight room. That's carried over to the field, so I believe he'll play the run better this year."