By the time King Mack walked off the field at Rose Bowl Stadium following Penn State’s second straight loss, the frustration was evident, but not unfamiliar.
The junior safety, who was thrust into an expanded role after winning the starting job before the Oregon game, has been playing more snaps than ever and navigating the mental toll of a season teetering on the edge of expectations. But even in the eye of the storm, Mack is remaining calm.
“Right now, we’re facing adversity,” he said this week. “I feel like God’s putting us through a test, and we still got each other’s back. We’re holding each other accountable, and we continue being the best team we can be.”
Mack is no stranger to adversity — last year at Alabama, he witnessed three unprecedented losses to unranked Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Michigan. He’s relying on his experience to stay positive moving forward.
Though still young, the Florida native has emerged as one of the defense’s most meticulous students. Mack said he started showing up to defensive staff meetings on his own, just to get a deeper understanding of the scheme.
“I ended up going to the defensive staff meetings after practice and hearing (defensive coordinator Jim) Knowles’ critiques,” Mack said. “Once I started doing that and seeing what he wants, it made everything easier for me.”
In a system as complex as Knowles’, that edge matters. It’s a system that demands precision.
“You just have to do your job,” Mack said. “If you don’t do your job, then you’re basically screwing the defense.”
For Mack, doing his job has meant more than making tackles or breaking up passes. It’s meant translating what he learns to younger teammates, building communication, and holding the defense to a high standard.
“We’re a team. We need everybody to be at their best,” Mack said. “I share the information I get with them, or I’ll tell them to come up there and just listen for once.”
Mack said safety Zakee Wheatley and cornerbacks Zion Tracy, Audavion Collins and A.J. Harris have joined him in the meeting room.
Still, Mack is quick to admit he hasn’t played his best football yet. He singled out his tackling and depth in coverage as areas he’s working to refine, evidence of his relentless drive to grow, something he credits to lessons from his parents.
“Right now, I’ve been playing OK. Definitely could be better,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement.”
That mindset is being put to the test as Penn State hopes to keep its sliver of College Football Playoff hopes alive, beginning on Saturday against Northwestern. Another loss this season would likely be the final nail in the coffin.
Mack said he “knows for sure” the Nittany Lions are capable of beating any team in the country. The talent level is evident, but the team hasn’t executed at its best through any of the first five games. Still, confidence remains high within the program, and the level of intensity has risen after back-to-back disappointing losses.
“Our practices have been intentional this week, because we know what’s expected, and we know that the past two weeks, that’s not what’s been expected,” Mack said. “So we knew that we had to step up to another level and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
