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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 14, 2017

Brandon Smith

University Park, Pennsylvania

Q. Brandon, how do you describe your Penn State career and maybe the past couple years specifically and the kind of role that you've taken on?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, I think I've had a tremendous opportunity here. I've been here, this is my fifth season. I've just enjoyed all of it. I'd say patience has been one of the biggest things for me, just waiting for an opportunity and preparation. Just having the right attitude. I talked to the team a couple weeks ago just about, you know, my perspective switch of just being less selfish thoughts and more just cheering my teammates on and being happy for the guys who got to play in front of me. Just being able to support them and that shift just lets you work harder, lets you have better focus, and so when your opportunity does come, you're ready.

I've just tried to do that in my career. These last two years where I've gotten an expanded role, it's just I tried to make the most out of it and really enjoyed the process.

Q. Can you just talk about Senior Day, the last time coming out and getting everything going? What is going through your head for the emotions this week? Secondly, talk about Nebraska and what you have? So the emotions going out last time and then your opponent for this week?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, I'm just really trying to reflect on how much of an opportunity I've been given here and what a great platform it is and all the great people I've gotten to meet. Hundreds of guys going through that locker room over my five years, just making great relationships and friendships with tons of guys. The coaching staff just being appreciative of who I've gotten to play for.

Ultimately, this fan base that we have here is incredible. I don't think there are too many places in the country like this where we can have 107,000 people out for a noon game in the freezing cold last week.

It's a tremendous opportunity, and our fans are really passionate. They go crazy for us, and we feed off that energy. So, one more chance to enjoy it as a player, and I'm looking forward to it. Going to make the most out of it.

As far as Nebraska goes, they're a good team. They've been able to play better than their record might indicate, so we're not going to take them lightly, for sure. We're going to prepare the same way we always do. Defensively and on special teams from my perspective, we're going to watch a lot of film, work on the fundamentals, and get back to playing good defense, good special teams consistently this week.

Q. Do you remember the first time you met Marcus Allen and have you ever been around a guy like that, whether it was Pop Warner, high school year, that's brought the same kind of energy? And Juwan Johnson said earlier, he's like an ice breaker for the team.
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, Marcus is a special guy. You don't meet many people like him, I don't think. Especially coming from small Lewis berg, Pennsylvania. I haven't met anyone like Marcus Allen. He's a tremendous player and an even better teammate. He does a lot to bring energy to practice and in the locker room. You can hear him anywhere you are in the locker room. He'll be making people laugh and just joking around and having a good time. He also works tremendously hard, and he does amazing things out in the field.

So it's been a real pleasure to play with Marcus these last four years and see him grow and mature, and become a leader on our team.

Q. From your talk a couple weeks ago, did you see the impact that your talk with the team had of being less selfish or did anyone approach you after that and say, thank you, that kind of resonated?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, I had a couple players who just said they were appreciative of my message and some coaches echoed the same thing. Ultimately, I think we have a lot of good character guys on our team who kind of already understand that. A lot of guys who come and work hard every day and have a great attitude. You know, an example, Desi Davis is one of our cornerbacks on our team. He said earlier in this year, even if he never plays, he's excited to help the team get better and incredibly thankful for his opportunity. It's just guys like that who really strengthen this team and give us a chance to be successful.

When you can be selfless like that and work hard every day, despite playing time or things like that, your team has a great chance to be successful.

Q. James Franklin was saying a couple minutes ago that he kind of recalled a little earlier in your career when you were lobbying with him, saying, hey, I can do this. More than a fullback, more than a special teams player. What do you remember about those conversations where you were maybe trying to sell the staff on yourself?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, that's when I was playing fullback, which really meant I was playing tight end and I was competing with Mike and Kyle Carter and Jesse James and those guys are like titans. I'm 6-foot, 230 at that point in time. So I knew my prospects of getting on the field on offense were very limited.

I knew I could play linebacker, so I talked to Coach Pry, I'd talk to Coach Franklin, you know, Pry, once a week, every other week I'd be up in one of their offices telling them I can do this. I'm not pulling your leg or anything like that. I was thankful to have guys like Ben Klein or Nyeem Wartman who are older guys who were there while I came in as a linebacker, and they kind of vouched for me. I appreciate them because ultimately they let me switch and I'm really thankful for that opportunity. Who knows, they probably might have cut me if I stayed a tight end. So just thankful for that opportunity.

Q. James has you graduating medical school in two years and becoming the team doctor here. I just wondered if that's how you see your progression?
BRANDON SMITH: First things first, I've got to get into a medical school. So that's what I'm focused on academically right now and focused on finishing off this school year. Finishing off this season the right way, and hopefully getting into medical school to see what happens after that.

Q. Any younger linebackers in the room that you've taken under your wing or can you speak to one or two of them that you've seen grow from camp to where they are now?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, I think one guy in particular that impressed me was Ellis Brooks. He didn't always, obviously, coming from high school to college, there is a big difference in what the playbook looks like. So he didn't always know what he was doing, schemewise, but he did a great job of running to the ball. You'd always see him at the ball and get there quickly.

Then as the season progressed, he did a great job working on his fundamentals, his key reads and learning the defense. He's a guy that I think is going to have a big role on this team in the future. There are other guys too. I could list a couple. But as far as one that's really stood out to me, I think Ellis is doing the right thing.

Q. Could you flip it around and tell us some of the scout team offensive players who may stick out to you? How much of an appreciation do you have for those guys knowing what you've probably done in that regard earlier in your career?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, we really appreciate the guys on the scout team. They've been giving us really good looks this year. I think it's probably been the most competitive scout team offense I've seen since I've been here.

Journey Brown, a guy who is incredibly fast, and watching him in those three and four scrimmages we've had, making a lot of nice, tough runs. I've had to cover him in scout periods man-to-man. He's a fast guy and makes you really make sure you have your fundamentals figured out and proper leverage and things like that. CJ Brown and Desmond Holmes on the line, they've been doing really good stuff, getting movement, and getting to the second level. In the past a lot of times it's hard to get a clear look because the offensive line is just getting blown up so quickly by our D-line.

But those are two guys that stick out to me that have been able to at least stand their ground or even get movement sometimes. Both guys, I think, have a bright future.

Q. You mentioned looking into med schools. What schools in particular are you looking at, if you know?
BRANDON SMITH: Yeah, I already applied, so I pretty much applied across PA and down into Maryland, West Virginia, I think one in New York. So I just kind of went around the east coast here, northeast.

Q. You've had an interesting story, and it's very intriguing to think what you went through to fight for your spot to play. So I'm wanting to ask you, what moment has stuck out for you? When you go through all that adversity, what really sticks out when you think about your past seasons here? Whether it be a game or just a moment for you that you're really going to hold on to this week especially?
BRANDON SMITH: I don't know if there's a particular moment. I think last year when I got to play in the Temple game, that was the first time I played realtime at linebacker. It's just kind of like a relief that I wasn't crazy. That I actually could go out on the field and do well. I was just happy with that opportunity. I've just enjoyed my time.

I think this season in general, even though I've been a back-up for most of the season, I've just enjoyed this more than any other season and made an extra effort to build relationships with my teammates. I don't even know if I'll remember actually playing in games. But I think just the team and the locker room and things like that. I think this year, more than any, has been the most meaningful to me to just, I've just been really appreciative of this opportunity and who my teammates are, and playing with people like Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, and Jason Cabinda and Marcus Allen, and all these big-name guys that I've gotten to play with them and live with them in the locker room. I think those are things that are going to mean the most to me.

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