Amid Uncertainty, Sutherland Ready for Breakout 2020 campaign
Jonathan Sutherland tried his best to keep things simple.
Away from his teammates, coaches, and Penn State’s facilities for months, Sutherland didn’t seek out celebrity training partners or extravagant workout plans.
He got his work in with his brother, Liam, and a couple others near his home in Ottawa, Canada, while he waited to return to State College.
Even spending time away from the nutritionists on offer at Penn State didn’t bother Sutherland, who meal preps for himself every summer.
It was an offseason fit for a player poised to take the leap, which is exactly what Sutherland hopes to do this season.
“No doubt, that’s why I come into work every single day, to push myself so I can have the best season possible and contribute to the team whatever way I can this year,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland was key for the Nittany Lions on special teams last year — and was named a captain of that unit as a redshirt sophomore, but that’s not a surprise given how highly Penn State’s players and coaching staff alike value Sutherland’s character.
Their faith was rewarded almost immediately as Sutherland was crucial on special teams from the start, blocking a pair of punts in Penn State’s opener against Idaho.
He contributed occasionally on defense, too, as the Nittany Lions rotated starting safeties Garrett Taylor and Lamont Wade, but Sutherland could find himself in a position to earn more snaps this season after Taylor graduated.
Sutherland found himself behind Jaquan Brisker on Penn State’s spring depth chart at one of the safety spots, with true freshman Enzo Jennings behind him.
Penn State safeties coach Tim Banks said Taylor’s impact will be evident on those who will replace him on the field on Saturdays, no matter who earns the starting nod.
“I feel like he’s done a great job of helping teach and mold some of the younger guys, some of the guys behind him, whether you’re talking about a Jonathan Sutherland, whether you’re talking about a Lamont Wade, or even a Brisker,” Banks said of Taylor. “They all had the opportunity to watch how he conducted himself in our meetings, how he prepared how hard he worked in the weight room, in our winter conditioning.”
Sutherland, who works out primarily with Journey Brown, his roommate, said he thinks he and most of his teammates came back in shape and ready for the season, estimating that they’d need about three to four weeks of team activities to prepare.
Whether or not there will be a season this fall to prepare for is uncertain, especially after the Big Ten announced it would move to a conference-only schedule for 2020. Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith told reporters he’s “very concerned” about the season’s prospects.
All Sutherland and the Nittany Lions can do is stay ready.
“With COVID and everything going on and potentially us not having a season, you know that it ultimately sucks,” Sutherland said. “But I’m just going to take it day by day because no one knows anything for sure as of right now.”
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