Penn State's Hackenberg embraces leadership role

There couldn't have been a sophomore quarterback in the nation with more on his plate in 2014 than Penn State's Christian Hackenberg.

Learning a new offensive system for the second straight season, the talented Hackenberg had to find a way to magically provide points for a team with young wide receivers and a thin and porous offensive line, a combination that resulted in 44 sacks and dozens more knockdowns.

However, through all this frustration, Hackenberg answered the call as a leader of the offense, a responsibility that he has embraced more strongly this spring going into the Blue-White Game Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

"I really haven't tried to change much," he said this week. "For me, it's just about being as genuine as I can with everything and working as hard as I can. I think the biggest asset of being a leader is gaining the respect of everyone. It's how you practice, how you prepare, how you operate, how you work out.

"I guess that's just been my thing, and I'll just continue to try to do that as best as I can. I feel a little more comfortable this year. I'll get on people and continue to hold myself to that same standard because I don't think you can be a successful leader without showing everyone else that that standard is what you hold yourself to as well."

Hackenberg and his teammates have enjoyed a much better comfort level this spring with coach James Franklin and his staff, and with all the offensive and defensive schemes that were introduced to the team a year ago with the coaches having been on the job barely more than two months.

Franklin said Thursday that Hackenberg and other team leaders are more at ease with everything, including "their own place on this team."

"I just think the fact that everybody's on the same page allows Christian to be the type of leader that he wants to be and we know he can be," Franklin said. "Leadership is so, so important at the quarterback position, but I think the other thing that's important in a leadership position is that the leaders are reinforcing the overall message and the overall philosophy and the overall values."

There were times last season when Hackenberg was visibly upset on the sidelines after a futile three-and-out series and appeared to vent to offensive coordinator John Donovan in person and/or quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne over the phone.

He said that criticism of his conduct bothered him but headded that he was determined to "buy in and ride the storm out with them the best I can because they're guys that have the same goals as me."

"They've supported me and I've supported them as best as I can," Hackenberg said of the coaches. "I love everything that they're doing. I love their mind-set. I love their approach to the game. And I love working with them."