'05 PA RB/DB Justin King (Penn State signee)

[LloydSev]

I wasn't talking specifically about King.. more about the comment about scUM not having a good class yet.

[Buckskin86]

http://www.mcall.com/sports/all-king...all-sports-hed

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centr...s/10191737.htm

http://pennlive.com/sports/patriotne...0492197200.xml

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-.../s_273330.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04321/412490.stm

King picks PSU
Gateway star plans to enroll in spring
Tuesday, November 16, 2004

By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Justin King has been described as soft-spoken. But there is definitely a humorous side to the Gateway High School football star. Penn State found out.

King, a heavily recruited running back-defensive back, held a news conference last night to announce his college choice. Ten minutes before the 7 p.m. event, he called Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who had recruited King the past few years. Just this past Saturday, King got 30 handwritten letters from Bradley.

King retold his phone call to Bradley.

"I told him, 'Coach, I just called to tell you I've decided to go to Michigan.' "

King heard a sigh of dejection from Bradley.

"He just said, 'All right.' "

"Then I said, 'Just kidding. I'm coming to Penn State.' "

And then there was a new Lion King. King's verbal commitment to Penn State last night makes him the Nittany Lions' seventh recruit from the class of 2005.

Gateway coach Terry Smith, also King's stepfather, was on the other end of the line when King called Bradley. Smith had to hide his laughter. Bradley recruited Smith when Smith played at Gateway in the 1980s. Smith ended up having a successful career as a Penn State receiver.

"We got [Bradley] pretty good," Smith said.

You can be sure Michigan didn't think it was a real knee-slapper.

King praised Bradley for his recruitment.

"He played a tremendous role in this," King said. "He recruited me harder than any coach. He made an impression."

King plans to graduate from Gateway after the first semester and enroll at Penn State for the spring semester. He then can participate in spring drills.

He was recruited to play cornerback, but said he also has talked with Penn State's coaches about also playing offense at some point in his career.

"I think I have a really good chance at starting, or seeing playing time next year [on defense]," King said.

King's decision is a shot in the arm for a Penn State team struggling through a 3-7 season. King (6 feet, 180 pounds) is considered the premiere player in Pennsylvania and some scouting services rank him the No. 1 defensive back in the country.

King said Penn State's losing ways in recent years does not worry him.

"I thought about the way things are going with them a couple times," King said. "But then I thought about how when I came to Gateway we were 2-8 when I was a freshman. It's the same thing. If I went to a school that was 11-1, it wouldn't mean as much when we win."

Gateway is 11-1 this season and playing in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship Saturday at Heinz Field.

King said Penn State coach Joe Paterno did not tell him how long he would be coach. But King also said that doesn't matter to him.

"I feel confident his successor is going to uphold the tradition there and nothing will change," King said. "I've been going to Penn State's [summer] camp since I was in eighth grade. I know all the coaches very well. They're all loyal people. I know everything they tell me is the truth."

Before King made his announcement at Gateway, four hats were placed in front of him, representing each college on his final list -- Penn State, Michigan, Florida and Ohio State.

He said a few sentences about every school.

"Florida was hot, had nice weather and nice girls," King said. "It was something different. I liked everything about it. But I'm pleased to announce I'll be attending Pennsylvania State University."

About 125 teammates, friends and family members in attendance roared with approval.

"His mother has been Penn State the whole way," Smith said.

Michigan was King's other top choice. The Wolverines had landed some of Western Pennsylvania's best players the past four years. Four players from the area are in the Wolverines' starting lineup.

Michigan made a big push for King. Gateway had a short workout Sunday night. Afterward, King had 18 missed calls on his cell phone from Michigan's coaches.

Michigan's coaches also tried calling King's grandparents.

"The phone calls have been relentless, from the coaches and the media," Smith said. "That's a lot of pressure on a kid. But Justin is very humble and he dealt with it as good as anyone could expect. The most important thing is his play never suffered through all this."

[MililaniBuckeye]

"I thought about the way things are going with them a couple times," King said. "But then I thought about how when I came to Gateway we were 2-8 when I was a freshman. It's the same thing. If I went to a school that was 11-1, it wouldn't mean as much when we win."

I like the kid's attitude.

[JCOSU86]

I went to the piss and blew forum. They are crying like there's no tomorrow. . Fuck em. And fuck scUM. Good choice, Justin. Pick your home state team.

[OSUsushichic]

I bet BretGoBlow is slashing his wrists at this very minute.

[Bucktastic]

Originally Posted by OSUsushichic

I bet BretGoBlow is slashing his wrists at this very minute.

Thats a shame......

If it wasnt going to be us....Im glad it was PSU and not scUM.

[CriticalSteve]

But now Smalls is in play. Leaving Osu with not much at CB when he goes to UM. King going to UM left Smalls for Osu. This has a very negative affect.

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by CriticalSTeve

But now Smalls is in play. Leaving Osu with not much at CB when he goes to UM. King going to UM left Smalls for Osu. This has a very negative affect.

Way to think positive, asswipe. Smalls continues to list us first over scUM and others.

[ZekeD]

That is one hell of a leap in logic Chicken Little. Wanker.

[Savante]

Good pickup for Penn State, and as many have said.. I can't fault a guy for wanting to follow in the footsteps of his role model (stepfather, in this case), stay close to home and improve a team. I thought King sounded a bit like a punk early, but I retract that statement and admit I really wish we would have gotten him. I knew we weren't, but... damn.

Good luck, Justin. Hope you guys only lose 4 games in your tenure there.. all to us.

[OSU Rob]

Let's think here:

possibility #1- King goes to scUM, and has a great chance to burn us for 3 years a la Chucky Woodson playing w/ good talent

possibility #2- King goes to PSU, which should get better but will still be a significantly lesser threat than him w/ scUM. Plus, this puts scUM's recruiting in a hole as they have to get a CB (Victor Harris or Smalls). There's no doubt King +scUM would scare me.

Its a no brainer. You have a kid that has the talent to come as close as you can in football to singlehandedly win games, and he chooses another school over our rivals. We should celebrate.

[gbearbuck]

I just read this in the Dispatch... seeing as how I thought hw as heading for scUM this is great news!!! Keep the ballers away from scUM...

Now it would have been even better if he chose to leave the BigTen, or even better if he chose the Bucks... but a PSU victory over scUM for a stud recruit is always good news!!!

[osugrad21]

Link


Speedy CB King paces No. 17 Penn State's formidable secondary
By Associated Press, August 29, 2007
Last updated: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 3:05 PM EDT
Advertisement


STATE COLLEGE, (AP) -- Justin King's career at No. 17 Penn State could end as quickly as he runs down receivers on the field.

NFL draft experts are already salivating over the speedy cover cornerback's considerable talents. King, a junior, has said his immediate priority is getting the Nittany Lions back to another bowl game.

Penn State opens the 2007 campaign Saturday against Florida International.

"I feel real good about coming into this season," King said. "Just stay humble, and keep working hard and it will pay off."

Things get a little murky after this season, though.



Cont..

[osugrad21]

Hmmm...

Link

King is ready for Manningham

PENN STATE FOOTBALL. Lions' cornerback and Wolverines' receiver are the featured matchup.
Thursday, September 20, 2007By BOB FLOUNDERS
The Express-Times
He turned Ohio State wideout Ted Ginn Jr. into a non-factor. He made Tennessee receiver Robert Meachem irrelevant.
Justin King's 2006 scoreboard looked like this:

Penn State's top cornerback 2, Future NFL first-round picks 0.

Cont...

[OWUBuckeye51]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

Hmmm...

Link

King is ready for Manningham

PENN STATE FOOTBALL. Lions' cornerback and Wolverines' receiver are the featured matchup.
Thursday, September 20, 2007By BOB FLOUNDERS
The Express-Times
He turned Ohio State wideout Ted Ginn Jr. into a non-factor. He made Tennessee receiver Robert Meachem irrelevant.
Justin King's 2006 scoreboard looked like this:

Penn State's top cornerback 2, Future NFL first-round picks 0.

Cont...

Call me crazy...but I don't recall Justin King shutting Ginn down. I remember a torrential downpour of a game, where offenses were stymied moreso by weather than by individual play.

King is a great player, but this article is somewhat overzealous.