Christian Hackenberg jogged off his high school field in September 2012, wincing from the afternoon sun, and awaited the question he had heard a thousand times before: Are you still committed to Penn State?
He smiled and nodded halfway through the question.
"I'm sticking with Penn State. I am a Nittany Lion," Hackenberg said, six weeks after the school had been hit with unprecedented sanctions. "One hundred percent."
At that point, Hackenberg didn't think he would ever play in a bowl game. He knew winning seasons might prove to be as elusive as winning the Heisman.