Randolph (N.J.) offensive lineman Brendan Mahon had a long day on Monday, but in the end decided to stick by his commitment to Penn State despite lingering NCAA sanctions.
"I watched the NCAA put its jurisdiction on Penn State, and at that point I was like, I have to step back and I was real disappointed with everything," said Mahon. "I just decided to go through the day, play it by ear and see how it went.
"It was a long day, I got back and 50 other coaches hit me up on Facebook and everything. I kind of stepped back and looked and Coach O'Brien to see how things would work with him for me, and also Coach McWhorter and how special he's been to me. They are the main reasons I committed to Penn State, and I know they're not going anywhere.
"With that regard, I knew that Penn State was still the place for me. Both of those guys, and the whole Penn State football program and Penn State in general, they will advance me on and off the football field and put me where I need to be after college. If the next level doesn't work out, I'll have a Penn State degree, and you can go a lot of places with that and still be successful in life. It was a win-win for me."
Mahon and his future teammates will be without a bowl game for at least three years, but he looked for the bright side of the NCAA sanctions.
"It does suck, but I see where the NCAA was coming from in doing so," he said. "I think that kind of gives us a push as a team and it will be something that brings us closer together. It gives us a reason to go out there and play every day and show off why we should be playing in bowl games."
