DeLuca
STATE COLLEGE — Dominic DeLuca’s first career start for the Penn State football team came with an accessory.
The Wyoming Area graduate was sporting a black cast on his right hand that wrapped around his thumb — evidence of an injury suffered two weeks earlier.
It wasn’t the busiest of days for DeLuca — the linebacker split a pair of tackles, including one for a loss, and was credited with a quarterback hurry — but the Oct. 5 game at Beaver Stadium was still a memorable one.
Being in the starting lineup meant getting his name and face up on the giant videoboards perched atop both ends of the stadium for the first time.
The milestone came a week after DeLuca was forced to watch from the sidelines in a primetime matchup against a top-25 opponent in Illinois. He had been injured in the first half against Kent State the week before and wasn’t able to return until the 27-11 win over UCLA.
The West Pittston native, who also serves as a special teams captain for the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions, was back out at midfield for the coin flip against UCLA. That meant he got to join Linebacker U royalty in former All-American Shane Conlan, who served as honorary captain.
Penn State has frequently used three-safety alignments this season under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen, meaning the Lions don’t always have a “Sam” linebacker — DeLuca’s usual position — on the field.
But Penn State started with three linebackers against UCLA as DeLuca joined usual starters Kobe King and Tony Rojas for the first snap.
