UNIVERSITY PARK -- Joe Paterno is vacationing at the beach, as he does most years at this time, and there's no concern inside the Penn State program that the iconic coach's recent health problems will keep him out of action this fall.
"We're not worried," Nittany Lion guard Stefen Wisniewski said. "We know he's a tough old guy, and he's not going to slow down."
Paterno has been slowed this summer by intestinal issues that forced him to cancel three speaking engagements. But he's doing just fine now, son Jay Paterno said.
"I've got a friend of mine that's got a place two blocks from his and texted me and said he's everywhere," said JayPa, PSU's quarterbacks coach. "He's out on the beach, he's running for ice cream with the grandkids and the whole nine yards.
"As long as he's still got that ornery streak and he's calling me and telling me what we need to do, I know he's OK."
The 83-year-old coach attended a team meeting last week, and Wisniewski said, "He looked good."
Fact Box
Lift for Life results
Friday's event raised more than $95,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association.
The team of Jack Crawford, Brett Brackett, Gerald Hodges and Michael Zordich won the competition, which featured four-man squads taking part in various grueling weightlifting drills.
"We heard that we was out sick for a little while," he added. "But we see him, and he's just as fiery as ever, telling guys to go to class and do all the things they should be doing."
SUBHD: QB time frame
Jay Paterno said the four-man quarterback competition between sophomores Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin and freshmen Paul Jones and Robert Bolden will whittle itself down pretty quickly when preseason camp starts early next month.
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"We'll have a scrimmage probably within a week or so [of starting camp] and try and see if three of them separate themselves from the other one," he said. "Then after the second scrimmage we'll try and focus on two guys."
That's the plan for now, and Jay Paterno said the coaching staff will be flexible and "adjust as we go."
"We're eight weeks from the game [today], and when we get into preseason camp, we've only got a couple of weeks," JayPa said. "So we can't afford to work four guys all the way up to game time because you won't get anybody ready. There would be a bunch of guys that had some reps, but none of them would be ready to go."
The coaches will have a good feel about where the top two guys stand around 10 days to go before the Sept. 4 opener against Youngstown State. But no matter who starts, that doesn't mean he's necessarily won the job for the long haul.
"Once we get to game week, we should have a pretty good idea who's going to take the first snap," Paterno said. "Maybe we play two guys. I mean, who knows. There's a lot of things that can play out in this."
SUBHD: No Newsome at LFL
Newsome skipped Friday's Lift for Life event so he could attend a family function. McGloin took part in the workout, as did Jones.
McGloin, who has shown no lack of confidence in a few interviews this year, said he considers the competition between him and Newsome to be even at this point. He also said he expects to split first-team reps in camp and believes he will have every opportunity to win the job.
SUBHD: Reality sets in
Junior receiver Derek Moye, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2009 with a team-high 48 catches, was candid when asked what it's like for high school stars to come in and sit the bench early on in college.
"It's definitely humbling, and frustrating at the same time," Moye said. "I kind of thought, like every high school athlete coming in here, just that you'll come in and be that starter, that guy who tears it up and is going to be a star, leave after you're allowed in three years and go to the NFL.
"But you realize real quick it doesn't work like that. You have to wait your turn just like everybody does."
SUBHD: News and notes
* Running back Evan Royster has added about 12 pounds this offseason to help him stay durable and said he's up to 224-225 pounds. He plans to be at 218 for the season.
* Backup running back Stephfon Green held nothing back when he called his 2009 season "below average" and said he must work on becoming more consistent. (Note: Sunday's Mirror will focus on what to expect from Royster and Green this season.)
* Wisniewski is expected to play right guard, although he said he has still been working out some at center.
* The first-team offensive line at this point is Quinn Barham at left tackle, Doug Klopacz at center, Wisniewski at right guard and Lou Eliades at right tackle. Johnnie Troutman and De'Ontae Pannell are in a good battle to start at left guard.
* Place-kicker Collin Wagner said he has worked a lot on building up his leg strength during the offseason to help him become more consistent from longer distances. He worked primarily on the leg press, curls and squats and said he's been kicking well from beyond 50 yards.
Cory Giger can be reached at 949-7031 and cgsports12@aol.com.
