Nicholas Singleton Attends Maxwell Football Club Gala Ahead of Spring Practice
Three days before beginning spring practice, Penn State freshman Nicholas Singleton spent time with Bryce Young, Jonathan Taylor and Brian Dawkins. Though he absorbed the moment fully, Singleton still fixed his focus on Monday.
"Just really getting out there and working, learning from the older kids," Singleton said of starting his first spring practice with the Nittany Lions. "Getting ready to be coached — to be coached hard by the coaches — I just can't wait for it."
Singleton was at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City on Friday for the Maxwell Football Club's annual gala, where he received two of the club's top high school awards. The Maxwell Football Club named Singleton as its national high school offensive player and as the recipient of the Jim Henry Award, presented to the top high school player in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Singleton previously accepted the club's Pennsylvania Player of the Year Award.
Singleton gathered with some of the biggest names in football during the Maxwell Football Club event. Young, the Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, won the Maxwell Award as the nation's top college football player.
Taylor, the Indianapolis Colts running back, won the Bert Bell Award as the NFL's top player. And Dawkins, the Philadelphia Eagles' Hall of Fame defensive back, received the club's Legends Award. Maxwell Football Club President Mark Dianno presented the awards.
During a press conference prior to the event, Singelton discussed his eagerness to begin spring practice and why he chose Penn State when he was among the nation's most-recruited running backs. Singleton was the nation's No. 1 high school back last season, according to SI All-American, a ranking he affirmed with his record-setting season at Governor Mifflin (Pa.) High.
"Coach [James] Franklin is obviously a great coach," Singleton said at the event. "He's been saying that he wants the in-state players to come to Penn State and win Big Ten championships and national championships. That just really spoke to me. Obviously, he's been great as a person too, great to me and my family. It was a pretty easy choice."
Singleton rushed for 2,043 yards and 44 touchdowns last season at Governor Mifflin. He averaged 12.4 yards per carry and 13.2 yards per touch. Singleton scored a touchdown every 3.89 times he touched the football.
His season brought a cascade of awards. Singleton won three alone from the Maxwell Club and became the first Penn State player to win the national high school offensive award since the club initiated it in 2007.
Singleton also was named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year (an award he learned about from Saquon Barkley) and the offensive player of the year trophy at the Adidas All-American Bowl.
After enrolling at Penn State in January, Singleton took part in winter workouts. Singelton told EasternPAFootball.com that he has gained weight (to 220 pounds) while retaining his speed. Singleton and fellow freshman Kaytron Allen, who attended IMG Academy, form what Franklin considers one of the better running back classes in the country. And both are among eight true freshmen who enrolled early.
"We've got a really good history, as you know, with keeping running backs in the state of Pennsylvania and of those guys playing well," Franklin told reporters on Signing Day in December. "Obviously, with Saquon and Miles [Sanders] and so on and so forth. We'll see how it plays out. We're super excited about getting them. We've got a lot of work to do, but it should be exciting. And I know you'll have fun covering it."
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