Every year it has been something else.

In his freshman year, he redshirted and had a leg injury. In his redshirt freshman year, he was playing behind starter John Blick. In his sophomore season, it was a hip injury. Last year, it was mononucleosis.

These have been the hurdles that have to this point kept Penn State senior football player Matt Schmitt from spending a whole season starting on the offensive line.

This year, he has to fight to win the starting job at right tackle back from incumbent junior Chris McKelvy, who started the last nine games of last season after Schmitt was diagnosed with mono. This year, Schmitt's doing everything he can to make sure that doesn't happen.

At Saturday's Blue-White game, Schmitt was presented with the Red Worrell Award, which is annually presented to an offensive player "for exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude and improvement" during Spring practice.

"That was a very great honor for me," Schmitt said. "Just with all of the hard work you put in here, it gave me a lot of pride, a lot of Penn State pride, because of the type of people that have earned this award."

Schmitt's improvement during the Spring has catapulted him back to the first team. Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said Schmitt put himself in place to be in competition for a starting spot in the fall.

"McKelvy's going to have problems beating out Matt Schmitt as will (left tackle Gus) Felder," Paterno said in his press conference before Saturday's game. "Matt Schmitt's had a great Spring. If we were to play tomorrow, Matt Schmitt would be a starting tackle."

McKelvy has had weight problems over the offseason and is now, admittedly, in Paterno's doghouse. Paterno wants him to get down to 315 pounds, but he is still at 323.

He came back from Christmas break weighing 333, and though he has cut some of that off, Paterno still questioned McKelvy's commitment in the press conference.

McKelvy's loss, of course, is Schmitt's gain. The junior's grip on the starting right tackle spot is loosened. Though McKelvy stands to lose a lot of playing time if things keep going in their current direction, he was still complimentary toward his teammate and his accomplishment.

He not only praised him for his play, but also his academic accomplishments. Schmitt earned his bachelor's degree in management last August after just three years at Penn State. He graduated with a 3.60 GPA and is working on a master's degree in business logistics.

"He's a good student, obviously," McKelvy said. "He's got a 3.6, he graduated in three years. He definitely deserves that award. It's a good influence on me and the rest of the line, to try to be a good football player and also a good student."

Another person who displayed his admiration for Schmitt was the guy who will he will most likely be protecting this season -- quarterback Zack Mills.

"It means a heck of a lot. Matt's a tremendous leader," Mills said. "He's kind of the guy that gets us all together, the rah-rah type of guy, nothing wrong with that.

"He's always up, he's always in good spirits, and always talking and trying to get people going. You need a guy like that. I need a guy like that, a fifth year guy to come over to me after Joe reams me out for doing something and say, 'Hey, smile.' "

Schmitt is smiling thanks to his progress, and hoping that won't change because of another obstacle this year.

"It feels great," he said. "Last year was a real rough year, to come back and have a pretty productive Spring, I was very happy."