Inside the Penn State Overhaul

SI Staff | Aug 21, 2012

Inside the Penn State Overhaul

Fred Vuich/SI

SI spent a 16-hour workday with Penn State coach Bill O'Brien and his staff last week as the Nittany Lions prepare for a very unusual season. The Jerry Sandusky scandal/cover-up wiped out most of the previous staff and left Penn State dealing with some of the harshest sanctions in NCAA history. On top of that, O'Brien must drag the program out of a time warp and into the current century. To read more about Penn State's reboot, pick up a copy of this week's Sports Illustrated magazine. In this first photo, O'Brien enjoys a lighter moment as dawn breaks on Aug. 16. O'Brien typically begins his workday before the sun rises.

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Penn State defensive coordinator Ted Roof meets with his players before practice on Aug. 16. Roof ran the defense at Auburn from 2009-11. He had planned to coach the defense at Central Florida in 2012, but he was hired at Penn State by head coach Bill O'Brien, who worked under Roof when Roof was head coach at Duke.

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Penn State coach Bill O'Brien cracks a joke during a staff meeting. To O'Brien's right is defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr. Johnson is one of only two assistants retained from Joe Paterno's staff.

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The new Penn State strength staff, led by Craig Fitzgerald, has added more Olympic lifts to the training menu. Here, players complete a high shrug following a dead lift -- which followed a power clean.

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Craig Fitzgerald took over Penn State's strength program after three seasons at South Carolina. While Fitzgerald was there, the Gamecocks had the best three-year run in the program's history. Fitzgerald, a former Maryland tight end and defensive end, also ran the strength program at Harvard from 2005-09.

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Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin completes another compound move during a workout. This one requires players to pull heavy elastic bands while also performing a lunge.

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When the NCAA lifted transfer restrictions for Penn State players, nine left for other schools. On this sign in the Nittany Lions' weight room, five names are taped over. All five are names of players who left the team. In the third row, the names of tailback Silas Redd (USC) and offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki are still visible under the tape.

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In between weight sets during a Penn State workout, players also work on balance.

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Penn State trainer Tim Bream tapes the ankles of linebacker Gerald Hodges. Bream, a Penn State graduate, worked for the Chicago Bears for 15 years before he was hired at his alma mater in February.

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Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien prepares for practice on Aug. 16.

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Penn State players stretch before practice on Aug. 16.

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Penn State coach Bill O'Brien makes a point to junior tailback Curtis Dukes at practice on Aug. 16. O'Brien had asked Dukes to hit the hole harder after taking the handoff. Dukes, who had gone down easily in previous plays, gained more yardage in the plays immediately following this chat.