Killens = Lions' defensive X-Factor

He remembers it like it was yesterday. He called them the Tyne Avenue Tomahawks. A football team comprised of all the kids in the neighborhood. He and his friend acted as coaches. They, after all, were the two oldest.

The group would go in his backyards and play games, with teams being determined by which side of the street you lived. The North versus the South.

Sometimes he and his friends would tease and taunt his older sister and her friends, causing them to chase the boys, until the girls beat the living daylights out of them.

Then there were times when Terry Killens and his friends would trek up to the neighborhood park. It was often rough, Killens remembered. A street light shone bright enough to let them play basketball games, even though there was no hoop.

A street sign, however, would suffice for the nine and 10-year-olds. Raised only seven feet, the signs were low enough for them to play like professionals and dunk whenever possible.

"It was low enough that we could go up and say we dunked," Killens said. "We ripped about three of those signs down. They put up new signs all the time.

"We never left the street," he added. "We didn't have to because we were always together and it was fun."

Those days in the Cincinnati, Ohio, streets are but a memory for Killens now. No time for a game of kiss-and-catch-her with the girls or a quick game of Torture, a sort of hide-and-go seek, where the hiders would be beat and tied up if found, Killens said.

But that was a long time ago. He is older now. He has grown large enough to dunk on a regulation basketball hoop and torture opposing offenses as a member of the Penn State defense.

However, the 6-foot-1, 223-pound Killens is having a slight problem distinguishing his position on the team. Thought of as an outside linebacker at the beginning of the season, Killens has moved periodically to defensive end during the season to pressure the quarterback, causing Killens' lack of a true identity.

"It's hard to say even for me," Killens said of his position, which he often calls the X-position because of his numerous tasks.

"I always thought I could get down in a three-point stance," he added. "We used to fool around in practice a couple years ago and get down in a four-point stance and say 'Yeah, I could be a defensive lineman.' Look what happens."

The move has not been a bad one. Killens returned this season as the Nittany Lions' sixth-leading tackler with 42 stops and three sacks last year. Through seven games this season, Killens recorded 37 stops and seven and a half sacks. He has pressured the quarterback while covering running backs from the backfield.

But that does not seem to be enough for Killens. He is his own toughest critic and believes he could have improved on a few minor details, even if his teammates do not think so.

"Terry serves a big role on the defense," hero Clint Holes said. "He's fast, strong and a great player. It seems like he's in on every play and he has plenty of talent."

That is nothing new for Killens, though. Ever since he arrived at Penn State he has been an active member of the defense. Lion Coach Joe Paterno and defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky decided to play Killens instead of redshirting him directly out of high school, something rare for a true freshman coming to Penn State.

Killens played in every game during the 1992 season, mainly on special teams and a few on defense. He said he had enough athletic ability to help on special teams, but not enough to win a starting or back-up job. He recorded 16 tackles and saw action on nearly 200 plays while being only one of two true freshmen to play. The other was quarterback Wally Richardson.

Despite being one of the few to play as a freshman at Penn State, Killens lost experience he would have gained as a redshirt practicing on the foreign team, dummying opposing teams' offenses.

"It was kind of mixed feelings," Killens said. "I had to go to Toftrees Friday night, me and Wall, I had to travel with the team, leave Friday afternoons. And I would come back after the game Saturday night and everyone would be telling me the fun they had on Friday night and all the people they met. I didn't know nobody my freshman year."

While he may not have known anybody, Killens was becoming a household name around Happy Valley. He recorded 23 tackles the next year before making 42 last season.

Killens' rise to the top of the Lion defense has not always been an easy one. Adjusting to new surroundings and classes his freshman year were difficult because of the non-redshirt year. But during this spring Killens suffered a loss that can bear no comparison to those.

His mother lost a battle with cancer in May and passed away, leaving a large void in the normally upbeat Killens. He and his mother were very close, as she and Killens' father Terry would travel to every game possible to see their son. If they could not attend a game, they would watch it on television.

Killens said he and his mother would always talk to her about what was going on in his life. She always made him feel good, sometimes to the point of being called a "mama's boy" by his older sister Lisa, 28, and younger brother Corey, 17.

"He was always his mom's favorite," Lisa said, with a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice. "He never got in trouble. She could always use him as an example."

Killens managed to fight through that adversity to have a productive season on the field so far this season. However, he has managed to keep his example-making trait. Nowadays, he makes moves and tackles that are used as examples for his teammates to follow.

And although he came to Penn State making those moves as a linebacker, he enters his last four college games still unsure what position he plays.

It is rather ironic that Killens does not have a titled position. It seems that no matter where he goes, although people know his name, he is almost unnoticeable. In fact, if it were not for his size, he probably would go totally undetected.

Killens said his father Terry comes up from Cincinnati to see every home game and sometimes stays at his apartment during the weekend. After games, Killens and his friends take his father downtown and usually hit Player's Sports Bar, 112 W. College Ave. He said his father mingles and has even made a few friends along the way.

It is not unusual, Killens said, to have several people -- sometimes not even football players -- ask him where his father is.

"My dad's cooler than I am," Killens said. "He acts like he's 22."

Actually, he is a little older -- around 50 years old -- but that does not stop him from having fun. Killens said because his father is alone, he likes to see him get out and do things to keep his mind off of his mother's death. And it appears that Big Terry, as his father is known around town, doesn't mind getting out either.

"It's a nice atmosphere," his father said. "I like to be around the kids. We get to talk about a lot of things ... I feel like I'm a father to the guys."

Which is sort of the way Little Terry, as he is known whenever his father is around, feels too, especially as a senior. But that is the kind of attention that Killens does not mind. Despite his aggressive demeanor on the field, Killens said he does not enjoy being in the spotlight. Instead of strutting around like most college players, Killens adopts a different style -- one of a low-profile, blue-collar worker.

It is a team game, he insists. He should not be the only one noted after he records a tackle or sack.

"Football's not like wrestling where it's mostly individual," Killens said. "Any credit that comes to me, a lot of it goes to my teammates because without them, a lot of the things would not be happening for me."

That's kind of a different attitude for someone who has drawn the attention of the NFL. Although he does not have NFL defensive lineman size, Killens possesses a considerable amount of speed, something that can never be overlooked. And with many teams adopting the smaller but quicker defensive scheme, there just might be a spot on some team's roster for Killens.

What is somewhat surprising, though, is that Killens does not seem very concerned with the NFL. He grew up as a Bengal fan but said the professional game never really excited him. They were not playing for the love of the game. Rather, he thought they played just because of the money.

"That's why when I see these dudes sitting out because of these big contracts," Killens said, "that turns me off. That's why I was always into college football because I know, right now, you got to love football."

He did not totally rule out the possibility of playing professionally one day. When he was in high school he had the same negative attitude toward college football. Now he is more concerned with finishing the season on a high note -- preferably winning a major bowl game -- and graduating as a broadcast/cable major.

And although football has given him many opportunities, Killens said he feels like he missed out on some too, such as earning internships during summers. He said he would like to acquire an internship this summer and perform work in his major.

It is that attitude which fits Penn State football to a tee. He could have gone elsewhere. Several other Big Ten schools, like Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue, were recruiting Killens as a running back. After all, he did play both offense and defense in high school. He made visits to all three, with Penn State being his fourth and last visit.

He was told by a coach from each of the schools -- before his trip to Happy Valley -- not to commit to Penn State too early. They wanted him to think out his decision completely in order to avoid a hasty decision.

While visiting Penn State, Ki-Jana Carter and Bobby Engram acted as Killens' hosts. He saw the area and met the coaching staff and Don Ferrell, the academic athletic adviser, taking to him very well. But major factors in Killens' decision to attend Penn State were the coaching staff and the program's winning tradition.

Despite being recruited as a running back by the other schools, Killens said Penn State wanted him as a linebacker and made no secret about it. He did, however, hint that he possessed ambitions to run the ball. Running back is a position begging for attention, with all the carries and touchdowns. Although he really does not care to be highlighted, Killens did not disregard the excitement from playing offense.

"Everybody likes the glory of scoring touchdowns, making a big run," Killens said. "That's everybody's dream ... You never hear anybody say they want to be a linebacker, a defensive tackle. You never hear that."

But the Lions did not need running backs at the time. They already had Carter, Stephen Pitts and Mike Archie, as well as Richie Anderson. They needed defensive players. The coaching staff told him that. They leveled with him and talked to him as an adult, something Killens took to heart.

But now that he attends Penn State, it seems like Killens is reliving his glory days as a kid at home in Cincinnati.

It seems that whenever Killens has some free time on his hands, he and teammate Brian Miller head to the parking lots and streets around Nittany Apartments for a friendly game of stickball. It all started when Killens went home with Miller one time. Miller's uncle started telling Killens how good of a baseball player Miller was when he was younger. "I was like 'Yeah, whatever. I used to play a little baseball when I was younger too,' " Killens said.

Miller entered the room and overheard the story. They argued back-and-forth as to whether Miller could strike out Killens. So they went outside with a stick and tennis balls to settle the argument. "I was taking him over the apartment, losing a couple balls," Killens said with a smile.

However, Miller disagreed. He said he gets the better of Killens.

"I strike him out all the time," Miller said, adding that Killens can't pitch.

Now the two compete at whatever they do. It is a close but very competitive friendship. Sometimes too competitive.

Although the stickball controversy seems to be up in the air, Killens admitted that Miller usually gets the better of him playing Sega. It would not be all that bad but Killens said Miller cannot just be satisfied with winning -- he has to rub in. In fact, Killens said it is because of that taunting that he stopped playing Sega for a while.

He said he grew so angry on one occasion that he had to leave the room. Both his family and Miller's family were there, but it did not matter. He became so frustrated that he had to leave.

However, Killens did get the better of Miller the last time they played.

"He hasn't been over here since," Killens said. "He said 'This is only my second time playing. I bet you been practicing.' Yeah, I was practicing just so I could beat him."

Killens' sarcastic remark might come because of his lack of free time. The only thing Killens practices nowadays is football. No time to head home and dunk over street signs. Or tease his sister's friends until they chase and catch them before beating on him and his friends.

There is not even enough time to gather the Tyne Avenue Tomahawks together for one more quick game in the backyard before the day ends.

There is always something else to accomplish for Terry Killens. Even if nobody recognizes him.