Northeast’s Barnes chooses Penn State football

Over time, it took more than a prized souvenir for Penn State to land Deion Barnes.

Made for a darned great start, though.

You know how most football prospects receive only form letters in the beginning? Hello, student-athlete. We've identified you as a quality player and we want you to know we'll be keeping tabs on your progress. Keep working hard and best of luck!

For Barnes, the 6-5, 230-pound megarecruit of a defensive end from Northeast High, the first contact from JoePa State was a handwritten letter from the living legend himself.

"I couldn't believe that," Cynthia Barnes, Deion's mother, said early Thursday morning in a room where breakfast was being served, just after she'd bubbled at rather high volume, "Where's Deion? Does he know they have pancakes in here?!"

Deion was still in a nearby room, answering reporters' questions. Earlier, in the auditorium, he revealed he'd chosen Penn State over the other finalist, Georgia, before family, friends, teammates, the school band and 650-odd members (he's one of them) of the school's pride and joy, the nationally recognized aerospace magnet program.

"Yes. The very first letter. Handwritten from Joe Paterno," Cynthia Barnes continued. "That made a big impression. I was overwhelmed. I showed it to my boss, who's a Penn State fan, and he was like, 'Whoa! This is some good stuff. You should save this.' "

This should also be saved, and copied by others: Deion Barnes' blueprint on how to pick a school.

Meticulous ain't the word. As Barnes talked, it was more and more evident he'd researched all aspects of Penn State's academic, social and football profiles, especially as they'd relate to him, and that he'd found the school to be a perfect fit.

"There was a high comfortability level with Penn State," Barnes said. "I don't want to say I felt like an outcast at Georgia, but I felt like I was around 'my guys' at Penn State."

The chief of the grid group? Larry Johnson, Paterno's defensive-line coach.

Barnes said he secured a promise from Johnson he'll remain on the staff, barring a canning, throughout Barnes' stay in Happy Valley.

"He's the one, in all of this, that's the most important to me footballwise," he said. "I'll be working with him. I like that he doesn't curse out guys, and that he's honest.

"His resumé speaks for itself. Seven first-round draft picks. Top 15 every year in sacks. He's one of the best at coaching d-linemen. I've seen that for myself. He gives guys the tools. It's your job to go get that quarterback."

In the auditorium, while introducing him, Northeast coach Chris Riley effusively praised Barnes' work ethic and said he'll attend college "to attack the academic course load . . . and the other team's quarterback."

In interviews later, Barnes, who sparked the Vikings to their first Public League title since 1983, emphasized that he's more than just a jock and that he'll earn his degree, even if football does go well enough that he'll be able to depart for the NFL after Year No. 3.

He also hinted Georgia might have hurt itself by targeting him as an outside linebacker.

"I'm not just some skinny speedster who can't play against the run," he said.

Wearing a red sweatshirt of the North Philly Aztecs, the youth organization that got him started in football, Barnes thanked all who helped him and then reminded his schoolmates to maintain their focus on academics.

While reaching into the podium, he added, "I want to show you that it is possible . . . and that's why I'm going to Penn State." (Obligatory hat tug-on included. Followed by wild applause/screeching.)

"I didn't know if Deion was going to make this decision, since he just went to Georgia last weekend," his mother said. "When I saw the Penn State hat come out, it was a relief."

She laughed. "I was like, 'Good, I don't want to drive to Georgia. And I don't have the money to fly down there, either.' My husband [Robert] was hoping it would go this way, but we still knew the decision was Deion's, not ours.

"Penn State was relentless. If I showed you all the mail we got from them, you wouldn't believe it. It's important to feel you're needed. That happened from the start."

With a handwritten letter from JoePa. *