Long before they ever motioned to sign a letter of intent, long before they were spoiled with lavish recruiting visits, apparel, fanmail and warmth, Justin King and Derrick Williams had already scanned the blueprint.

At the time though, there was no certainty that Blue and White would be the colors they'd eventually use to adorn their walls.

That part of the operation was still under construction.

But wherever they chose to break ground, they hoped to do it together.

"Me and Justin were together when we were in high school, we were good friends," Williams said. "That's one thing that we would talk about, going to a school to make a difference."

Despite being in separate states, Williams from Maryland and King from Pennsylvania, the two would chat occasionally about which schools jockeyed back and forth at the top of their respective lists.

The true freshmen became attracted to Penn State for a variety of reasons. One in particular was that not only could they foresee the areas where they could help the program improve, but that those areas were exposed, in depth, by Penn State's coaching staff.

"They would show us tapes from last year," Williams said. "They would show us where we could go in and make a play, that's what we're doing right now. We're just trying to do everything well."

Since their arrival, they've done nothing but produce. Good things seem to happen every time either one touches the ball. When King gallops around the corner on reverses, he appears to find land faster than Christopher Columbus did. When he catches passes -- he only has two -- they end up being for touchdowns.

Through four games, he has gained on average more than 22 yards every time he touches the football.

King said his touchdown catch on Saturday against Northwestern was the play that got the Nittany Lions rolling.

But the demeanor and disposition by which the two carry themselves off the field has been a bigger surprise.

"They are doing a lot more than I ever expected them to do," senior cornerback Alan Zemaitis said. "I'm not just talking about the plays on the field, I'm talking about their maturity level. If anyone on the team is down, they are the first ones to help lift them up."

Together, they've aided the team in getting off to its best start since 1999. The comeback win against the Wildcats was vital, according to King, in proving that this team is legit.

"Some people thought it was a fluke thing those first and second games," King said. "But we can do this every week."

In less than a month, they've already started to contribute to a healing process of a program that they had no hand in harming to begin with. King and Williams have indeed put their stamp on what the next few years could entail around here.

After Williams caught the game-winning touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the game, he said that play was something everyone dreams about.

"I was just concentrating on the ball, like my coaches told me to do," Williams said. "Just concentrate on the ball, and good things will happen."

And perhaps no one was more elated to see him score than King.

"It was real sweet to see Derrick get his first touchdown like that," King said. "I mean, what can you say, he's a difference maker."