Don't be fooled by the subdued nature and unassuming 170-pound frame of Penn State men's soccer player Chris Stout.

He may not stick out in a crowd, but the State College native is easily recognizable when he steps onto the soccer field. He is the one tossing his body around with reckless abandon, making ferocious defensive plays. He's the one colliding with the other team's players like a linebacker, usually with disastrous results for the opposition. And after the game, he's the one with multiple grass stains on his uniform, cleat marks on his forehead, with the look of a heavyweight champion on his face.

"He seems quiet, but there's a little mischievous glint in his eye," Stout's mother Mary Jane said.

Stout mixes this sense of mischief with an intense love for competition, and the combination has helped the senior defender become one of the secrets to the Nittany Lion's success in 2001.

Lions' head coach Barry Gorman has said that Stout "typifies the heart of the team" and called him an "unsung hero" among the seniors on this year's roster.

Strong words, considering that the Lions' senior class of 2001 features two All-Americans and soccer supermen, midfielders Derek Potteiger and Ricardo Villar. But the statistics don't always indicate just how valuable a hard-nosed player like Stout can be to a soccer team. "Hustle" and "intensity" aren't exactly official soccer statistics, but you have to believe that Stout would be at the top of the lists if they were.

"I definitely like to be physical," Stout said. "I just try to keep it simple, and do what coach says."

Spoken like a true warrior.

In fact, Stout is one of four Lion warriors—along with junior Jorma Makipaa, freshman Kenji Treschuk, and junior Ben Dawson—who have led the defense to recording eight shutouts this season and have bailed out the Lions on several occasions when the talented offense sputtered.

Stout said that as a defender, a position not usually associated with much glory, it is sometimes difficult to concentrate on defense when the Lions need a big goal.

"It gets frustrating when the team struggles offensively," Stout said. "You think, 'maybe I could score more goals.' But you've got to trust your teammates. Sometimes you would like to get recognized, but it's not really important."

Still, Stout has had the opportunity to display some offensive skills throughout his soccer career. He notched two goals last year, and has two goals and an assist for five points this season. When he does find the net, he's more likely to attribute it to a perfect pass by a teammate or a simple stroke of luck rather than pat himself on the back. But he deserves more credit than that for his offensive prowess. Stout recorded 24 goals as a defender at State College Area H.S., where he played on the varsity team for four years and was an all-state pick and team MVP.

At the recommendation of his high school coach, Stout also played on teams in Pittsburgh and Erie through the Olympic Development Program, a highly competitive soccer league that is heavily recruited by college teams. Stout's father Tobey would often pick up his son after school on weekdays and the two would drive several hours away for team practices, often not returning until after 11 p.m.

The extra effort has clearly paid dividends, as Stout was able to fine-tune his skills and became an improved soccer player. As a high school senior, Stout was recruited by several colleges across the nation, including Penn State.

"He had a laundry basket full of letters from other places," his mother Mary Jane said. "But Jeffrey Field was it. We even dragged him to William and Mary (Mary Jane's alma mater) but all he wanted to do there was check out the golf courses. He just said 'why would I want to go anywhere else?'"

Like many State College kids, Stout has always been a fan of Nittany Lion athletics. He learned to play hockey from Joe Battista, the head coach of the Penn State men's ice hockey team. He also learned some soccer fundamentals as a youth in community soccer lessons taught by Gorman, his current coach. In high school he gave up ice hockey to focus on soccer, and as graduation approached and the colleges kept calling, Stout's decision was easy.

"I grew up watching Penn State soccer, and I said if I could be a part of it I'd take the opportunity," Stout said. "I looked at a couple other places but didn't really entertain them."

Stout began his career with the Lions in 1998, appearing in 18 games as a freshman and starting eight. He recorded three points that season, but more importantly, he quickly gained the reputation of a bruising defender not afraid to challenge opposing players for control of the ball.

"I think his hockey skills show in the way he gets his body between the ball and the opponent," Mary Jane said.

Stout's style of play does at times resemble a hockey player battling for possession of a puck in the corner of the ice rink. His intensity is obvious as he chases down loose balls around the net and bumps heads with opposing forwards and midfielders. Stout says his game is elevated when playing at the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field, where his parents and younger sister Megan, a Penn State freshman, can often be heard cheering him on.

"It's a big thing because I always look up in the stands before the game to see if they're there, it gives me something to play for," Stout said. "I feel like I've got to impress them every time, so I try my hardest."

In addition to being regular supporters of Penn State soccer, Stout's parents are also Penn State employees. Tobey is a research scientist, and Mary Jane works as an alumni education planning director. Mary Jane said she is glad that her son chose to play for the Lions because it gives her and her husband an opportunity to see most of Chris' games right in their hometown.

While being a Penn State athlete with State College roots has an advantage, Gorman said that it's not all it's cracked up to be.

"I'm very, very disappointed with the local media, that they don't recognize what this kid has done in his own backyard," Gorman said. "If it was a football kid, they'd be all over it. He's a kid that has played his soccer here, grown up here, and he's done very, very well."

Stout admitted that it would be nice to be recognized locally, but he said, "that's totally out of my control. And in the end it doesn't really matter."

Instead, Stout focuses on the recognition that would come with winning a championship, one of the team's goals that has not been accomplished in Stout's four years with the Lions. In Stout's freshman season the team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament title game but lost to Indiana in overtime. That same year, the team was defeated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore, Stout helped lead the Lions to a school-record 19 victories and into the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, but again they came up short. In 2000, the Lions were on the brink of finally securing a Big Ten championship, but lost to Ohio State in overtime of the final game.

This year, the Lions finished their Big Ten season second in the conference behind a dominating Indiana squad that holds eight conference crowns and has already beaten Penn State once this season in a dominating 3-1 victory. Capturing a Big Ten title will not be easy when the 2001 conference tournament begins play next week in Madison, Wis.

"It's all I think about since last year," Stout said. "It would be a huge disappointment if we didn't win. We're expecting to win."

Stout also said that a run at the national championship in the NCAA Tournament is also not out of the question this season.

"It'd be a great thing to be a part of, and unbelievable to win," Stout said. "But there are so many good teams across the country, to pick yourself (to win) is not realistic. Still, it'd be a huge thrill if we get there."

Hopefully, this hometown hero will get that opportunity before his college career comes to an end.