Merely standing in Justin Kurpeikis' presence is intimidating.
Sure, he is dressed to the nines in a sharp suit three weeks ago for Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. His cuffed slacks and heeled shoes give the impression he is more likely to shake hands than lay out a painful sack.
But then the 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end stares like he is looking across the line of scrimmage into the eyes of a quivering offensive lineman.
Kurpeikis' eyebrows nearly come together as he glares, his skin scrunching as if he were a bulldog ready to attack.
"Justin is an intense brother," defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy said.
That intensity will be needed after the departure of All-American defensive end Courtney Brown, the top selection in the NFL Draft, who literally leaves the Nittany Lions with a giant hole to fill. And not just because he was 6-foot-5, 270 pounds.
Kurpeikis' counterpart garnered the attention of offensive coordinators, drawing double- and triple-teams from offensive linemen and still recording 13.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in one of the most prolific seasons ever by a player in the Blue and White.
And now Kurpeikis is next in line at Linebacker U., which might as well rename itself considering Chris Snyder, Brad Scioli and Brown have all shined at defensive end since Kurpeikis came to Penn State in 1996.
One by one, Kurpeikis' friends, colleagues and teammates have left, molding him for this season. Now, it is his turn in the limelight. It is his chance to be on the back of the media guide, to see the No. 37s in Beaver Stadium's student section and it is his time to become the leader for Joe Paterno's defense.
"He is a great leader by example," Kennedy said. "I can't take anything away from him. He's a leader and the team has a lot of respect for him. I think we made the right decision by saying Justin is our leader of the defense."
"I have a lot of new teammates on my side of the ball and there are a lot of new coaches on the sideline," Kurpeikis said. "And it is exciting.
"If you are any type of competitor, every season you say that to yourself — that you want to come to the forefront and make the plays. This year is no different."
That is good news for Penn State. Last season, Kurpeikis was a consistent presence in the backfield, garnering nine sacks, 52 tackles (39 solo, 13 for loss) and causing and recovering one fumble.
He comes into the season after an impressive showing at the Alamo Bowl, where he notched 10 stops (seven solo, four for loss) and made two sacks.
"He is a fine football player," Paterno said. "I don't have to stir him up in any way. He has his own motor. He goes all the time 100 percent.
"I think Justin will be one of our better football players, maybe even one of the better football players in the country defensively."
