When he was a child, Penn State two-sport athlete Sam Crenshaw was given an ultimatum about what he would do with his free time.

"I told my son he could either work around the house or play sports," Samuel Crenshaw Sr. said. "Of course he chose sports."

Partly in order to avoid that first option, Crenshaw devoted almost every available moment to athletics. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, and whatever time he had left after his practices, he spent working out at the local YMCA.

With his senior season on the Penn State football team finished, Crenshaw could've finally slowed things down a bit and taken it easy, but he isn't a fan of idle time. He also has a deep love for his second sport -- basketball -- and he craved more than just pickup games at the IM building.

He had been on the roster once before, after his freshman season, and didn't get a significant amount of minutes. He decided to give it another shot, and contacted Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn about coming out for the team again. He joined the squad Dec. 17.

"I guess I just missed it," Crenshaw said. "I missed everything about it. I missed the atmosphere and I just love the game of basketball. I hate sitting around and doing nothing, and I just had to get back into something."

No one that knows Crenshaw is surprised that he can take on a second sport, even in a major conference like the Big Ten. Growing up, his parents tried to get him involved in as many sports as possible, and with their support, he stuck with them.

"He loved being active," Samuel Sr. said. "He loved playing all sports, and he was always into something. He went right from football into basketball, then into track, then back to basketball in the summer."

At Rayen H.S. in Youngstown, Ohio, he was dominant in not only football and basketball, but also on the track team in the spring.

He was a three-year starter in football, a four-year starter in basketball and All-State in both sports. On the track squad, he was a member of Rayen's state champion 4x100-meter relay team, and a state qualifier in the individual 100-meters. He even tried his hand at baseball in ninth grade despite having never played the game.

"He was an extremely coachable kid," Rayen basketball coach Phillip House said. "He was always the first one to practice. He was extremely athletic and also an outstanding leader, with the work ethic he displayed was unbelievable."

College recruiters in both basketball and football showed interest in Crenshaw, but his 6-foot-2, 215-pound body made him more bulky than most college guards, and shorter than most forwards. He still got offers from schools as prominent as Cincinnati, but the football offers were flowing in from everywhere. He chose Penn State because he was told he would have an opportunity to play both sports.

After seeing action in 10 games on the football team in his freshman year, Crenshaw joined the basketball team for the 1997-98 season, but didn't make it into any games. He sprained his knee in football the next season, and didn't come back to the basketball team. Crenshaw began his Nittany Lion football career as a wide receiver. He saw moderate time as a backup, pulling down 20 career receptions for 288 yards and a touchdown.

He moved to safety in 2000, and was playing both ways before hamstring and shoulder injuries ended his season after the Toledo game. He got to play again last season thanks to a medical redshirt. He only appeared in seven games, but made crucial contributions on special teams with two blocked field goals.

All the while Crenshaw could still be found in pick-up games at the IM building. He was still playing, but he missed the competitiveness he could only get from organized basketball. He missed playing in front of the crowds and being part of a team, so he decided to put his final winter in college to use and convinced Dunn to allow him to return to the team.

"I think he brings a lot of maturity to this team," Dunn said. "He's a very athletic player, he's a tough kid and he's very aggressive."

Crenshaw is still fitting himself into the Lions' defensive and offensive systems, so the only time he has seen were garbage minutes against Ohio State. However, Crenshaw has impressed his new teammates with his athleticism. He opened some eyes when he dunked over junior point guard Brandon Watkins in practice.

Watkins already knew Crenshaw could play, and like a number of his teammates, he thinks Crenshaw can contribute to this time on the court and off the court.

"He definitely helps us out in practice," Watkins said. "He's a very strong presence. He can dribble, he can shoot, he can jump, he's stronger. . .He's definitely helped a lot. I hope that he'll learn the plays fast enough so that he hopefully can play."

Crenshaw knows that breaking into the starting rotation may not be possible in the time he has, but he would rather take on the daunting challenge than stay away from the game.

"My goal right now is just to get myself on the blue team in practice," Crenshaw said. "And then from there try and impress the coach to get on the court more."

The playing time may or may not come, but even if it doesn't Crenshaw is enjoying being back on the court.

"I love being back in basketball," he said. "I love my teammates. They've really accepted me, and I'm just having fun playing the game again."