Shawn Mayer does the big things. He does the small things. For the Penn State secondary, Mayer does almost everything.

He makes big tackles, pressures the quarterback, is a vocal leader in the huddle and even leads the team in tackles. The redshirt junior is the Nittany Lions frontrunner in tackles with 53 and has consistently shown that he is a valuable, if not necessary, resource in the Penn State defensive secondary.

In Penn State's second win of the season against Ohio State last Saturday in a thrilling 29-27 upset, where secondary mate Bryan Scott blocked a go-ahead field goal, Mayer proved he can step up and make the big play. Mayer recovered a fumble and sacked Buckeyes quarterback Steve Bellisari as the Lions were mounting a comeback in the second half.

"He is playing very well," cornerback Bruce Branch said. "I don't think his injury has even slowed him down."

Unsure where he would fit in before the season after coming off an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee that sidelined him for the entire 2000 season, Mayer has taken to the hero position nicely.

He uses his constant intensity and vocal leadership to not only make his teammates better, but to cause havoc for opposing offenses. Opponents can be sure when their offense is on the field and No. 23 is on defense, they will get 100 percent from him every single down.

Mayer loves to hit people, play hard and make opportunities for him and his Penn State team to be winners.

"Shawn has an itch for physicality and aggressiveness," cornerback Yaacov Yisrael said. "He has a good football sense. He just loves being physical."

When Mayer takes off his helmet, it is obvious the man means business. His appearance speaks volumes. Mayer's clean head and face resemble someone who doesn't take many things lightly, especially on the football field.

In the media room, Mayer calmly answers questions, but never seems to smile, because when it comes to football, Mayer is a serious man.

Yisrael said his secondary teammate is light-hearted off the field, but when he gets between the lines and straps his plain white Penn State helmet on, he doesn't crack a smile until the game is finished.

Mayer takes every down seriously, trying to make something happen for the Penn State defense on every play. He doesn't rest, doesn't lollygag and doesn't forget his assignments. Like every player, Mayer makes his share of mistakes, but his intensity and desire to win seem to mask all his inadequacies.

And Mayer has to be that way. He and senior linebacker Shamar Finney are known to be the vocal leaders in the huddle for the Penn State defense. When something needs to be said or a big stop has to come from the Lions defense, Mayer is right there to let his teammates know about it.

He motivates Branch and Yisrael and all of his other secondary teammates to make a big play. Whether it's knocking down a third down pass, blitzing the quarterback or just playing in-your-face coverage, Mayer lets his teammates know he is all business.

And the Hillsborough, N.J., native isn't afraid to get his hands dirty either. Mayer has made his share of hits, blitzes and tackles. He leads the team by example and prides himself on his constant intensity.

"I just try to play ball," Mayer said. "That's what football is all about. You just go out there and try to make plays."

He has been making plays his entire football career.

Whether it's at Penn State or in high school, Mayer has been making big plays for many years. That's why Joe Paterno recruited him and brought him to Happy Valley. The kid makes big things happen.

At Hillsborough High School, Mayer played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back on the football team and was a champion hurdler on the track squad. Mayer isn't the most athletically gifted kid, but his grit and determination make him better than his natural talent does.

His high school record proves it. He was all-everything. Mayer was all-county, all- conference, all-state and even a USA Today All-American. He was a SuperPrep 100 in New Jersey during both his junior and senior seasons.

And Mayer continues to be all-intensity for Paterno and the Penn State football team. Mayer's work ethic has carried over from the high school field to the larger arena in college and his toughness has been reason No. 1 why he has been gradually successful at Penn State.

His torn ACL hasn't slowed him down a bit and Mayer has proven he is a threat for opposing quarterbacks if they plan to throw on the Penn State secondary.

"He is doing very well," Paterno said of Mayer. "I am pleased with him. I think we are asking him to do an awful lot of tough things and he has almost 100 percent risen to the occasion to do it."

Paterno said he and his staff were very high on Mayer coming out of high school and added that he has proven to be a vital part of the Penn State defense.

Mayer, whose only brother played defensive end at Hofstra, has progressively improved in the Lions secondary. After redshirting his true freshman year, he recorded 11 tackles and saw action in every Penn State game in his first year playing. Mayer looked to be an important part of the Penn State secondary last season, but after tearing his ACL in spring practice, he used the time to rehabilitate.

But Mayer also found the months and months off as good time to better learn the Penn State system and weight train. Mayer is known as one of the hardest working guys in the weight room for the Lions. At 6-foot and just over 200 pounds, Mayer uses his size and strength to his utmost advantage in the secondary.

Combining with Yisrael, Branch, Bryan Scott and Rich Gardner, the Penn State secondary is improving tremendously. And the Lions defensive backs are getting better because of Mayer's philosophy: Make every play an opportunity.

"I was just playing and the opportunities came," Mayer said after the Ohio State game. "I just tried to make opportunities happen. Each play you just have to take as it is."

That is exactly what Mayer has done and that is part of the reason why the entire Penn State secondary is getting better. Excluding some big pass plays, Paterno said the defense is playing well. The quickness and agility of the secondary, in particular, has aided in the Lions' two wins this season.

"If you take five or six plays out of the last couple of ball games, we are playing pretty good defensively," Paterno said. "They are almost all the same kind of plays, deep post kind of plays."

But whether it's Branch stripping the ball at Northwestern, Mayer sacking Bellisari or Scott blocking a go-ahead field goal by Ohio State, the Lions secondary has had some big plays in their first six games.

Mayer, Yisrael and Scott are all in the top four in tackles for the team and Branch isn't far behind in the six spot. Not only does Branch play cornerback, he doubles as the punt returner.

Although everyone in the secondary is talented, the unquestionable leader is Mayer. He is vocal, intense and leads by example. Mayer leads the team in tackles, always is ready for battle on Saturdays and has suffered through adversity with a torn ACL to get where he is.

The team respects Mayer, listens to him in the huddle and follows his example on the field.

"He's always looking for that pop," Yisrael said. "When he gets on the field, it's business. He wants to set the tone for the defense."