No second-guesses over return to PSU
Two OL veterans made decision not to enter NFL
Penn State offensive linemen Will Fries and Michal Menet had opportunities to leave early for the NFL this offseason. Even if they didn’t get drafted, they could have signed free-agent deals. Instead, they’re anticipating one more season protecting Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford.
Fries and Menet were the first players to address a group of assembled media this week since COVID-19 closed the campus more than two months ago. And neither player expressed any regrets about returning to school.
“I’m definitely not secondguessing it,” Menet told reporters via Zoom. “I put a lot of time into my decision. It really was kind of an easy decision for me.”
Menet, a team captain who made 13 starts at center last season, cited a desire to improve as the fuel behind his choice.
“There are definitely things I know I needed to work on to become a better player,” said Menet, an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention in 2019. “I’ve been really addressing those since the season ended, so it’s been a positive for me.”
Fries, too, remains undeterred about his choice.
“There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said of the upcoming football season potentially being in peril. “It’s out of my control. I can’t worry about it. All I can do is get myself better every day. All I can do is keep preparing for whatever the next opportunity is. At some point, with the guidance of health and safety officials, people will be able to get back. I’m looking forward to when that is.”
Fries, a right tackle, has made 33 starts for the Nittany Lions. As one of the more experienced players, he is taking on a leadership role and relishes the chance to encourage others.
“I’ve been checking in on a couple of guys every day,” Fries said.
“Seeing how they’re doing, seeing how their family’s doing. These are crazy times, so the most important thing is just to make sure everyone’s mentally straight. I think our group has done a great job. Even the younger guys are calling me and holding me accountable.”
If there is a football season and if the Nittany Lions are going to be successful, they’ll need Menet and Fries to be sharp. The offense also has adjustments to make with new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.
Fries and Menet said they are constantly interacting with the new arrivals.
“Me and Coach Traut talk pretty regularly on the phone.
I’m asking him questions, all that kind of stuff,” Menet said. “We also have these Zoom meetings which have been extremely valuable for us, especially transitioning into a new offense and a new O-line coach. It’s been really vital for us.”
Physically, however, they’re working on their own to be ready for whenever football returns.
“It’s really not that bad because most of what you do, besides obviously walking through it and being able to run it live, is studying the film and watching clips from past offenses doing it and that type of stuff,” Menet said. “So it’s really not that bad as long you’re taking good notes and being able to go back through them and watch them.
“Obviously, you’re missing a component of being able to walk through a line with a defense, but some of the things I’ve been doing, I’ve just been kind of visualizing plays a lot.”
Menet also is envisioning a life with football again.
“We’ve discussed all the possibilities, but I’m really trying not to think about it much,” he said. “My opinion really doesn’t matter. People who do this stuff for a living are going to be the ones to tell us when it’s the safest for everybody to get back.”