Givens primed to back up splashy debut

Kevin Givens finished his debut season as Penn State’s 17th leading tackler.

Playing in each of the Nittany Lions’ 14 games last season, starting the first six of them in Curtis Cothran’s absence, the redshirt freshman from Altoona, Pa., generated 7.0 tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks for 28 yards in losses. He also snatched up two fumble recoveries and had a pass deflection.

For his first season in action as a Nittany Lion, Givens created a splash along Sean Spencer’s defensive line.

So how did Givens think it all went?

“I thought I had a decent year,” Givens said modestly. “How do you think it went?”

Considering the amount of media attention focused on Givens in his first season, and the praise of his teammates and coaches throughout, the answer would seemingly be obvious. But for Givens, choosing not to partake in his own press clippings while maintaining a determination to continue improving, those opinions are mostly meaningless.

In advance of a third year in the program in which he’ll be counted upon to create a strong core in the middle of Penn State’s defense along with Cothran, Parker Cothren, Robert Windsor, and Ellison Jordan among the tackles, Givens has been focused on his fast-approaching opportunity.

“It's football season,” said Givens. “After being up here all summer, it's the only thing you ever think about. You're just waiting for the first game week.”

Expecting to hold down the No. 2 behind Cothran at the 3-technique spot, Givens will spend the upcoming weeks taking his cues from the veterans in front of him. A fifth-year senior, it’s a responsibility Cothran is taking seriously as Givens progresses through his Penn State career.

“I definitely feel a big responsibility. I've obviously been here for a while now and I know the way things get done. KG has been here for a couple years and he played last year, so he knows everything that he's supposed to do,” said Cothran. “It's definitely mentoring them each week and getting them ready for the games each week. It's awesome.”

How Givens is used in the season ahead is something defensive coordinator Brent Pry left open-ended through the summer months.

Evaluating Givens' progress through the spring, fewer execution and mental errors prompted Pry to say that the young Nittany Lion was still growing into the position. Rather than simply making plays on his abilities, though, the framework of the defense is now something well within Givens' grasp - inside or out.

"Kevin Givens is kind of a swing guy still in my mind a little bit," said Pry this summer. "He can play inside, he can play outside. He's a talented guy."

Holding high expectations for himself and for the Nittany Lion defense as a whole, Givens sees plenty of opportunity to follow up his debut with an even stronger showing in the season ahead.

“Definitely coming off the bench, I think I can give the D-line some energy from not being tired. So we'll see what happens,” said Givens. “I'd like to just improve my whole game overall, just getting my weight up and just doing whatever I can to help the defense be one of the best defenses in the nation.”