Brian Mabry took a risk when he decided to attend Penn State.

The school was everything Mabry wanted, but he couldn't enter as a scholarship athlete. He realized he wanted both, so the New York native decided to walk on to the Penn State men's lacrosse team.

After that, everything else seemed to take care of itself; making the squad, emerging as a regular contributor and team captain, and meeting his fiancé exceeded the senior's expectations.

"I had the attitude of hoping for the best and expecting the worst," said Mabry, who started playing lacrosse in seventh grade. "Four years ago, who knew? Who knew?"

Most who know Mabry would not have second-guessed his ability and his drive to succeed. Penn State men's lacrosse coach Glenn Thiel said Mabry is very poised on the field and demonstrates strong leadership skills. He said Mabry's work ethic molded him into a player to whom teammates look.

"He is a great role model and leader who works very hard in the classroom and keeps his goals at focus," Penn State men's lacrosse assistant coach Lars Tiffany said.

Prior to tryouts, Mabry was an unknown commodity to the coaching staff, which had never seen the midfielder play. That inspired Mabry to make the most of every opportunity and compete with more desire. He made an impression on the staff then and continues to do so today.

"Brian is one of those guys who does all the dirty things, the things you don't hear about," Tiffany said. "He may not be the greatest athlete, but he is one of the smartest players."

At the beginning of his senior season, Mabry was elected by his teammates to serve as captain. He said it is reassuring that others appreciate what he has done, but said that the most challenging role as captain is drawing that fine line between telling people what to do and letting them be adults. Teammate Edmond Perry said Mabry found that common ground.

"What he does on the field, everyone watches him," Perry said. "Everyone follows him and everyone respects him. And he gets the job done."

Mabry is the guy the Lions turn to in a man-down situation. The short stick player scored his first goal of the season on Saturday against Mount St. Mary's, but his efforts since walking on to the team have contributed vitally to the Lions' success. Mabry said qualifying for the NCAA tournament last year and being part of a first ranks as one of his most memorable experiences.

Then there is everything that settled into place because Mabry walked on to the team. Things would have played out much differently if Penn State had recruited Mabry.

He would have been assigned to live in Pollock Halls freshman year instead of Curtain in East Halls where he met his fiancé, who lived one floor below him. Mabry wouldn't have had the opportunity to be a regular student and establish another group of friends.

"I had the outsider's view," he said. "[The recruited players] came in as athletes and I came in as a general student. I was here to see if I was gonna be an athlete."

The finance major, who is also working on a business law minor, established himself early as a stellar student and an active member in the Penn State community. Mabry maintains a 3.54 GPA and serves as the Student Athlete Advisory Board president. To round out his list of accomplishments, Mabry recently received Penn State's John W. Oswald award in recognition of his leadership, and the Nittany Lion Club senior athlete award.

"He takes advantage of all 24 hours of the day," Tiffany said.

Tiffany said Mabry is the type of guy a father would want his daughter to marry. That must be why Mabry will walk down the aisle in August with a job, a house, and a girl he met before chasing a dream.

For Mabry, the risk he took four years ago was well worth it.