JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
When Brian Groff heard Penn State was recruiting him for football, he didn’t believe it.
“Not at first,” Columbia’s senior lineman said. “I didn’t take the first call, my dad did. And when he told me who called, I thought he was lying.”
Turns out it was Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary on the other end of the line, and he and some other assistants were so impressed with the video Groff and his coaches at Columbia sent along that the Nittany Lions offered Groff a preferred walk-on spot in the fall.
The Associated Press Second-Team All-State pick called McQueary on Tuesday night and informed him that he was going to accept Penn State’s offer to be a preferred walk-on, and he’ll head to Happy Valley later this summer to try and earn a spot on the team – and start working toward a scholarship.
“This has been a dream since I was a little kid,” said Groff, who said Penn State would like him to play defensive line – either end or tackle.
“I’ve always wanted to go there, and (McQueary) said I could get a chance to play.”
So Groff, a 6-4, 265-pounder who runs a 4.95 in the 40-yard dash, gobbled up the Lions’ offer to be a preferred walk-on, turning down a scholarship offer from Millersville.
Groff was also being recruited by Shippensburg, but when Shipp didn’t offer a scholarship and Penn State came calling, he jumped.
“Brian is the epitome of leading by example when it comes to hard work in and out of the season,” Columbia football coach Jason Shoff said. “He has earned and he deserves everything he’s achieved.”
Groff is now the third former Lancaster County star to earn preferred walk-on status with the Lions.
Manheim Central grad Graham Zug is a wideout for Penn State, and he appeared in a handful of games last fall.
And Manheim Township senior kicker David Soldner recently accepted the Lions’ offer to be a preferred walk-on, and he’ll head to State College with Groff in a couple of months.
“They said they liked my athleticism and the way I can play,” Groff said. “So I made an unofficial visit last weekend. And they offered me a preferred walk-on spot.”
After coming back to Columbia and mulling it over for a few days, Groff picked up the phone Tuesday night.
“I was hoping Shipp was going to offer,” he said. “But when they didn’t, and Penn State called, I knew I was going to go there.”
