Penn State Football: Golden is the Last of a Dying Breed

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Malik Golden sat crumpled into a metal folding chair inside a cramped media room deep inside Michigan Stadium here on Saturday.

The Penn State safety had led the Nittany Lions in tackles for the second consecutive week, with 11 stops – an astounding eight of them solo – against Michigan in a demoralizing 49-10 loss.

He was asked about the 10-tackle performance of true freshman linebacker Cam Brown.

Golden’s mind, and answer, were elsewhere. The fifth-year senior with an undergrad degree already in hand couldn’t help but think about a different teammate, also a linebacker.

The one Golden left at home.

Golden lives in State College with fellow ‘backer Nyeem Wartman-White, whose season ended prematurely for the second year in a row after suffering – for the second year in a row – a knee injury last week against Temple.

Like Golden, Wartman-White is one of the greybeards on a team bereft of much experience. Brown is as green as they come. Wartman-White will turn 24 in December; Brown is almost 5-1/2-years younger. Color Golden disappointed and disheartened.

“You want everyone to play well,” said Golden. “My heart goes out to Nyeem – leaving him at the apartment…that just hurt me. I was thinking about him and Brandon (Bell), as well as Jason (Cabinda) in the sidelines.”

Here’s what Golden is seeing happen in front of him. Not only is Wartman-White sidelined for the rest of the year, but Cabinda – the team’s No. 1 tackler in 2015, with 100 stops — hasn’t played since the season opener against Kent State. And Bell, a savvy senior and three-year starter, has not played since the season’s second game, against Pitt.

Yet get this: Even though Bell has missed the last two games, he is still the No. 3 tackler for Penn State through the first four games of 2016, with 17 tackles. No wonder Golden misses him. (Bell, too, didn’t make the trip west.)

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Those injured linebackers represent Golden’s past and present. His future, now spent cleaning up after a linebacking corps that features second- and third-stringers promoted to starting roles due to injuries, doesn’t look that bright. Not when you’re the leading tackler on the season, plus the past two weeks in a row (he had nine tackles vs. Temple), for a team once known as Linebacker U. that has produced impenetrable D-lines that were pipelines to the NFL.

But not this year.

And especially not on Saturday in The Big House, where Michigan jumped out to a 28-0 lead then sealed the blowout by scoring the game’s final 14 points.

“We’ll watch film of this tomorrow and then we’ll bury it,” Golden said. “We have to find a way to be better, to minimize our mistakes and communicate better.”

These days, Golden represents the last and best of a lost generation of Penn State players. He committed to Penn State under Joe Paterno, switched from wide receiver to safety during two seasons under Bill O’Brien. He developed as a starter under former defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and James Franklin. And now, he’s come of age under current D-coordinator Brent Pry. At times on Saturday, he flashed brilliant. Like the Wilton Speight pass he batted down on a blitz. Or his big hit to stop De’Veon Smith on a fourth-and-4.

“It’s been a roller coaster for me,” he said while sitting on that folding chair.

Often Saturday, when Golden came to the sidelines, Pry would be the first to seek him out. To get a true take on what was going on or to console the safety – and often the latter, since seven of Michigan’s 10 possessions ended in a touchdown (two ended on downs and a 10th on the Wolverines’ only punt of the day).

Pry knows what Golden knows. With all three veteran linebackers down, and the Lions without their leadership (Bell is defensive captain), Golden is not only Penn State’s top tackler, he’s also the one who is holding the defensive squad together.

“Whatever I need to do to lead the younger guys, I’ll do,” Golden said. “I have to lead by keeping my head up, by being positive. I need to lead by example.”

CHANGE THE ONLY CONSTANT

It has not and will not be easy. Penn State has lost six of its last eight games and seven of its last 11. Golden is on his fourth D-coordinator and fourth position coach (if you count wide receiver) in his five years at PSU. At 23-1/2-years old, he knows his college days are coming to an end. As the injuries and losses have mounted, his obligations have increased.

“We have to work, work, work. And then work some more,” he said. “We have to use today as a motivator for the future. I’m trying to build a foundation for the younger guys. We just have to keep working.”

At this point, Golden says he’s willing to do whatever that takes.

Told by a reporter that Franklin said there may be some shuffling of positions, Golden – a sturdy 6-foot, 205-pounder who hits like a linebacker — was then asked if that could include him.

“When I started playing football,” he said with a small hint of a smile, “I was a defensive tackle. I’m willing to move around if they need me.”

Believe him. After all, it’s nothing Golden hasn’t said — or done — before.