Carl Nassib had two dreams when he arrived at Beaver Stadium as a freshman: First, to be an All-American. Second, to play professional football. At first, neither seemed likely, or even possible. Now, however, he stands tall as one of the best college football players in the nation.
Nassib’s stardom was unexpected. The six-foot-seven, 272-pound defensive end was a former walk-on, and had never started a game in high school or college. His first career start came in Penn State’s 2015 opener, and from then on, Nassib’s impact was nearly immeasurable.
Despite missing most of the fourth quarter against Northwestern and only playing two snaps against Michigan and Michigan State due to a hamstring injury, Nassib still led the nation in sacks (15.5) and forced fumbles (6), and was second in the FBS – but first in the Big Ten – in tackles for loss (19.5). He was, and still remains, a quarterback’s worst nightmare.
In 2015 alone, he has been able to emphatically cross one thing off of his bucket list. Not only was he given All-American nods from seven unique programs (six of which were first-team honors), Nassib received other major accolades this season. He was presented the Ted Hendricks Award for being the nation’s best defensive end, and the Lombardi Award as the country’s top lineman (either offensive or defensive).
The end was also given the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is awarded to the best defensive player who embodies the personality traits of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Additionally, Nassib was named a consensus All-American by the NCAA, the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Penn State’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive MVP.
Undoubtedly one of Penn State’s greatest success stories, Nassib’s impact on the defensive line was felt from the beginning of the season – and was sorely missed when he was out of commission. The Nittany Lions’ prolonged offensive struggles were tempered by a strong defensive performance, especially with Nassib’s contributions.
Nassib blossomed at an essential time for Penn State. Amidst questions of who would fill the defensive hole left by standout linebacker Mike Hull (another surprise success story) and defensive ends Deion Barnes and C.J. Olaniyan, Nassib stepped up in every way possible. Once close to being cut, he trained harder and longer than he had before, and eventually broke into the starter’s role in 2015, much to the surprise and admiration of defensive coordinator Bob Shoop.
“I like the mentality of putting your head down and work,” Nassib said, “and not worrying about anything else.”
His breakout season as a fifth-year senior was nothing that Nassib didn’t foresee. He now famously told Bill O’Brien, the former Penn State head coach who didn’t think Nassib would even make it as a walk-on, that he would play professional football, even before he had earned his scholarship. At a time when O’Brien was forced to get his squad down to 65 players, those words were not taken lightly.
Flash forward several years later, and Nassib’s second dream is within reach. CBS Sports marked Nassib at the eighth-best defensive end in the projected 2016 NFL Draft, and as number 55 overall.
Now, with his return to the field after rehabbing and recovering from the injury that forced him out of the last two games of the regular season, Nassib is ready to win one last time in his blue and whites.
Not to mention that a strong performance in the bowl game could solidify his position as one of 2015’s best defensive players and lead to a better draft pick.
“It means everything,” he said. “I just want to put the Penn State jersey on one last time and just kick some [butt].
Photo Credit: espn.go.com
