Why Tony Rojas Believes He, and Penn State, Will 'Be Back Better' Next Season

Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas sustained a quadriceps contusion during last September’s White Out game against Oregon, which he attempted to practice through three days later. But Rojas said that, on the first play of Tuesday’s practice before Penn State played UCLA, he sustained a torn ACL, ending his season after just four games.

“That was probably the hardest mental break I've ever had in my life, just going through that,” Rojas said. “But people were there to support me, and it was a good lesson for me to sit back and just see that from an outside perspective, and just help the young guys and just the guys in the room in general. And just having a good spirit with the guys was my big thing.”

Rojas, the longest-tenured linebacker at Penn State, was on pace for a career year before his injury. He posted 25 tackles (4.5 for loss) and two sacks in four games and was the backbone of a defense that allowed just 8.5 points per game in regulation (albeit to three non-Power 4 teams) while he was on the field. That’s in contrast to the 24.4 points per game Penn State surrendered over the next nine.

Rojas said it was difficult to be on the sideline for the defensive collapse. He tried to relax, meditate and remind himself that “everything happens for a reason” to get through the tough month of October.

Rojas also tried to find a benefit from the injury. He said he was able to see the game from a coach’s perspective, learning details he didn’t know before, which will help him be a better linebacker next season.

“I feel like it was a blessing and a curse at the same time,” Rojas said. “I feel like everything happens for a reason. That's how I look at it. And God has his plan, and I'm not gonna rush anything that's not meant to be.

“So obviously it sucked, but it is what it is, and I can look forward as of now. But what happened after, just the season, it was kind of a weird feeling — not just playing, but just seeing what was happening with the losses and coach [James] Franklin [being fired]. … I think we'll be back better than people expect.”

Rojas decides to return

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas sacks Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks. — Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) sacks Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks (3) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Just weeks after Rojas’ injury, everything blew up at Penn State. The Nittany Lions lost two more games to UCLA and Northwestern, which led to Franklin’s firing.

Rojas, a Virginia native who expressed his love for Franklin after the firing, had a decision to make: Follow Franklin to Virginia Tech, go elsewhere or stay at Penn State.

However, he said there was “no other decision” but to return to Penn State, which he announced Jan. 1 on social media. The junior did confirm that multiple teams aggressively attempted to poach him from State College. “Penn State was home for me,” he said.

Rojas said the return of assistant linebackers coach Dan Connor was important to his decision. He said that Connor is someone he can go to “on and off the field” and that it’s important for him to be coached by someone who played linebacker.

“How he developed me since I've been here has been one of my things,” Rojas said. “And having him on my side to be like a mentor, somebody who played the game here and just seeing what he's done … is something I look up to.”

“[The decision was about] not really wanting to go anywhere else and kind of settle in,” Rojas added. “Obviously, I know a bunch of guys that stayed, but [Penn State] just felt like home. And I don't want to be in the predicament where, once I graduate, it's awkward going back to the college where I go for a year. Knowing that I can come back here anytime is a good feeling.”

Learning from rehab

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas runs onto the field for the Fiesta Bowl against the Boise State Broncos. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rojas underwent surgery two weeks after the injury and began rehab shortly thereafter. He’s more than four months into a process that he said he’s “punishing.” When Rojas is not in class, he’s in rehab. The need to be consistent has been the hardest part, he said.

“Every day I learn something that I didn’t know I could do,” Rojas said.

Penn State safety Jeremiah Cooper also sustained an ACL injury in late September during practice while he was at Iowa State. Cooper said he and Rojas have motivated each other through the process.

“I talked to him when I first got here, I saw he was doing ACL recovery as well, so I got to talk to him for a bit, kind of connect with him,” Cooper said. “We’re kind of on the same timeline. I think we did get hurt around the same time. … We’re both just in the treatment room every day, trying to get better. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I’ve got somebody going through the same thing with me.”

“I know he’s a dog too, so he’s going to be back on that field as well real soon,” Cooper added. “It’s easier knowing somebody’s going through something. Because they understand how you feel, they understand how your mind is. He’s getting better. I’m getting better. I know we’re hitting stages where we’re feeling a lot better, so it’s kind of getting easier right now. I’m just excited to see how he recovers as well.”

Rojas said he’s tracking to be at full strength for summer practice and next season, with a slight chance he returns for the end of spring practice.

“'I’ll catch myself some days just not really wanting to go in because it's repetitive,” Rojas said. “But I’m past that. … So it’s just having the mindset of fighting through it every day, because it gets repetitive and they can get boring. But if you don't view it from that perspective, it'll be all good.”

Rojas’ inspiration to get through his injury’s hardships has been his mother, whom he said has undergone multiple surgeries on her legs. “Knowing that she’s been able to do that and walk, there’s not much that I can’t do,” Rojas said.

Another person Rojas sought advice from is former Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr., who dealt with something similar in 2024. Rojas said the two have been communicating since his injury.

“He'd been telling me his mindset and how he feels even better than before, and I'm starting to feel that myself,” Rojas said. “I'm gonna come back stronger, faster. So just being able to have people in my corner, that's been through it has been super helpful.”

A fresh start with D’Anton Lynn

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas reacts following a sack on Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks. — Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas reacts following a sack on Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

As he nears the end of his rehab process, Rojas now has a new scheme to learn. The Nittany Lions’ new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn might be a better fit for Penn State and Rojas than former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, now at Tennessee.

Rojas said he felt like he was held back the past two seasons regarding his skillset and believes Lynn will “unlock that.”

“I'd say he likes to blitz a lot, which is my game,” Rojas said of Lynn. “I think we'll see a lot more of that this year, and I'm just excited because I feel like his play style is more of what I like playing — fast, downhill, blitzing.”

“I feel like last year the biggest thing was, plays are getting called that we weren't best at, even in practice,” Rojas added, “and I feel like Coach Lynn brings to the table, that he's going to call plays that we're the best at.”

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