Penn State linebacker Dominic DeLuca (0) will be taking snaps at two different linebacker spots this season, which will require the Wyoming Area grad to switch between helmets — one with a radio and one without — depending on the spot.
AP File Photo
Add another responsibility for Dominic DeLuca this season at Penn State — occasionally switching helmets during the game.
The former Wyoming Area star, now in his third year as a captain for the No. 2 Nittany Lions, was set to be one of the key cogs for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles when the season opened Saturday against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.
Knowles is able to call plays in directly to one player on the field who has a radio in the helmet, signified with a green dot.
Frequently this fall, that man will be DeLuca, a fifth-year senior who has been praised by coaches for his work ethic and attention to detail. He is set to split duties at the ‘Mike’ linebacker spot along with North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell.
But DeLuca’s versatility will also see him take snaps at the “Will” position, and there will be instances where he and Campbell are on the field at the same time. On those plays, DeLuca will have to make sure to grab a helmet that doesn’t have a radio and a green dot, as teams are only allowed to have one in play at any given time.
“It’ll be Jim talking to the green dot, and that will be a combination of who is on the field — that will be Campbell and DeLuca,” Lions coach James Franklin said Monday at his weekly press conference. “Most likely those two guys, one of them will be on the field. That will be a little bit of the challenge because we think DeLuca and Campbell not only can be Mike linebackers, but Deluca can (also) be the Will.
“How do we make sure he has a second helmet if he’s on the field and we don’t have two green dots on the field. That’s some of the gymnastics we have to do based on the rules — to make sure we don’t get a silly penalty with two green dots on the field because now Deluca is at Will linebacker. We’ve been working through that in play.”
Franklin said DeLuca will be the only player on the team who will have to deal with multiple helmets.
The player with the green dot helmet is responsible for signaling the play call to the rest of the defense, making it one of the most important duties on the team. This is just the second season that the NCAA has allowed radio communication from the sideline to one player.
