Drew Allar's Sad Experience: A Lesson of Growth For Penn State's QB-Quarterback
Drew Allar, the sky-high-promising and sensationally bright start player for Penn State, recently found himself in quite a bit of drama-an emotional moment during the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame as with the game on the line and just 47 seconds remaining, Allar's desperate hopes for a victory fizzled with a last-minute pick. The score would eventually read 27-24, but as bitter a pill as it was to swallow for Allar and teammates alike, it sounded much louder under the shadow of expectations hanging around this season.
As time headed down the clock and the Nittany Lions were gearing up for what could have been a game-winning drive, Allar would proceed to misfire on a timely throw for wide receiver Omari Evans. It was intercepted by Notre Dame's Christian Gray and proved to be the play that snuffed out Penn State's hopes of advancing in the playoffs. It also served as ever an assertion of the pressures inherent in being a starting quarterback at a top program. Allar struggled throughout the game with the exception of throwing just 12 passes for 135 yards out of 23 attempts, the target was highly inconsistent on third downs, converting 3 of 11.
Such as it has been, head coach James Franklin has said about Allar that he believes that there is much potential in him. During this whole season, he praised the young quarterback for his development and stressed that every athlete goes through such hardships. Franklin added that this experience would be a learning phase for him; a stepping stone for Allar, as he grows in the department of skills and those of leadership. Often, it is said that adversity shows the true character of a person, and this is just what will mold Allar's future approach.
He was stern and hard on himself in his post-game thoughts, Allar. "We didn't win the game; therefore, it wasn't good enough," he admitted flatly. But it is a situation heightened with intensity for him, but the kid promised he would use it to do more work and study. His mind would be geared for the 2025 season when he'd return. Rather than think about going early into the NFL draft, Allar aims at consistent honing of his game and preparing to lead better this year for future contests.
Drew Allar has resilience and is geared up towards new ambitions for the future. In fact, this lesson he has learned from this painful moment will make the fire in his belly burn brighter and will motivate his teammates for what lies ahead as well. In college football, there's always some setback that they can just as well use as a stepping stone toward their growth, and Allar's journey has just begun.