Believe it or not, it’s possible for a player to want success too much, so is this the case with Penn State QB Drew Allar?
This question was asked to Allar’s QB coach, Danny O’Brien, after practice Tuesday evening.
In all facets of life, wanting something badly can be a detriment.
Whether it’s in sports, dating, work etc., there is such a thing as “trying too hard.”
Since Penn State’s Orange Bowl/College Football Semifinal loss to Notre Dame, many have questioned if Allar— a 6-foot-5, 236-pounder who has everything he’s needs physically to be a championship QB— measures up on the mental side.
O’BRIEN ON ALLAR
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Drew Allar
Here’s what O’Brien had to say about whether Allar wants success to a fault.
“It’s a great starting point when they want it that bad,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to coach honing that in and keeping your poise and just doing your job and keeping it simple than the other way. Certainly, no one wants it more than him.”
So what does this all mean?
Well, O’Brien’s answer indicates that, yes, Allar does “want it” badly and, yes, this can be a trait that, while overall positive, needs reigned in if it gets to a certain level.
But overall, it’s better to have to pull back than to teach somebody to love the game.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.‘THE INTERCEPTION’
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JANUARY 09: Quarterback Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts after throwing an interception during the Penn State Nittany Lions versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl on January 9, 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
Allar has thrown 10 interceptions in his college career but when somebody mentions “the interception,” every college football fan knows what they’re referring to.
The pick happened in a 24-24 Orange Bowl with 33 seconds left.
Notre Dame’s Christian Gray made the play and set ND up with a— no pun intended— golden opportunity to punch its national title game ticket.
Two plays later, Drew Allar threw an interception. pic.twitter.com/Behf8uHRgj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 10, 2025
It did just that, with Mitch Jeter nailing a 40-yard field goal.
So Notre Dame went to the national title game and Penn State went home.
How long did it take before Allar and O’Brien could watch the play together?
“I’d say it wasn’t much more than a week,” he said. “Kind of decompressing. Again, loving him up in that moment and that next day, that flight home, kind of decompressing. I’d say it was about a week or so before I was like ‘hey, let’s dig back into this film’ and kind of continue… start the 2025 journey.”
Penn State’s 2025 journey begins Aug. 30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.
