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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Amin Vanover was always probably a long shot to make it to be in line for a starting job as a defensive end at Penn State.
Vanover had arguably the biggest impact of anybody on the defensive side of the ball in Saturday's Blue-White Game. He led the White team to a 27-0 victory with an interception, a tackle for a loss, and a sack on the day.
The fact that Vanover grew up to be a football player in one of the major conferences in the college game is a small miracle in itself.
Vanover was born prematurely at 5½ months at just 1 pound, 5 ounces, and was in an incubator for the first 3½ months of his life. He was never really healthy until he was about 18 months old.
So how does somebody that was only 1 pound, 5 ounces at birth grow up to be a 6-foot-4, 263-pound defensive end on a defensive line that was widely regarded as one of the best in the country last season?
"Honestly, I don't know," Vanover said. "I just have to thank God."
The challenges didn't stop as a small child either. Vanover transferred to St. Joseph's High School in New Jersey his sophomore year. The school was an hour away from his home. His mother, Tyresha, drove Amin to school in a 1997 Toyota Corolla at 5:30 a.m. so she could make it back to start work at 8 a.m. She also picked up Amin after school, making it about four hours in the car daily for her son to attend school.
Even today, Vanover calls his mother back in his hometown of Newark, N.J. every day to make sure he's doing the right things.
"I'm her only son. She's not going to let me slip," Amin said.
"I think Amin Vanover is a pretty cool story," PSU coach James Franklin said. "I think he's going to have a huge year for us. He's a guy, in my opinion, that's done it the right way. It hasn't always been easy for him and for us. His journey has been challenging at times. He's really stuck it out. He's just got better and better and better. I'm really proud of Amin."
A fast one
The Blue-White game was played with 13-minute quarters with a running clock, which made for a quick game of just one hour, 34 minutes.
It certainly isn't a normal game, but Franklin was pleased with what was accomplished throughout the spring.
"I thought we had 15 competitive, physical practices," Franklin said. "I thought today was good. We got a bunch of situations covered."
Third RB competition
Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen both were not used on Saturday. Allen did not participate at all throughout spring ball.
The competition for the third running back was there for the taking, and true freshman Quinton Martin Jr. may have got a leg up for the job. Martin had two rushes for the White team and both resulted in touchdowns. He also picked up 13 yards on four carries for the Blue team.
That performance was impressive, especially considering Franklin said he missed some time during spring practice.
"He had some bumps and bruises, so he missed a decent amount of time this spring," Franklin said. "I don't have a true evaluation, but I can tell you he's an awesome kid. He's learning the offense very well. I think he has really good vision. I think between now and West Virginia, he has a lot of work to do, and I think he'll do it."
Local product plays
Bishop Guilfoyle graduate Karson Kiesewetter, who made the transition from quarterback to safety over the spring, suited up for the Blue team on Saturday.
Kiesewetter, now a redshirt freshman, made two tackles in the game.