Levi Brown knows all about work.

He worked to graduate in three-and-a-half years, in -- of all subjects -- labor and industrial relations.

He worked to become an All-America offensive tackle, something that would have seemed unlikely for a player who spent his entire first year in college practicing on the defensive side of the ball.

But this spring, Penn State's starting left tackle is taking it easy, enjoying practices that, for him at least, have been fairly laid back.

Due to coaches' orders, Brown is sitting out much of spring practice and has taken up a teaching role, instructing the younger offensive linemen who must fill in four starting spots vacated by departing seniors from the 2005 squad. Brown will be on the sidelines for tomorrow's Blue-White game.

"I haven't been practicing this spring," Brown said. "My role has been as a coach and assisting guys with learning plays and techniques."

There is much to be learned on the Nittany Lions' offensive line, as no one other than Brown has any starting experience at the collegiate level. Since Brown is a lock to start at left tackle this coming season, and there are numerous younger players trying to prove themselves capable of protecting new quarterback Anthony Morelli, the coaches have doled out the reps at the tackle spots to Chris Auletta and John Shaw.

Brown insists he is 100 percent healthy, and that the light spring is a result of coaches wanting to get a look at the younger players.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with me," Brown assures. "They just want to look at the young guys."

Brown can understand the value of giving young linemen ample time and opportunity to become acclimated to their positions.

He came to Penn State as a standout defensive lineman. When recruiting him, Joe Paterno told Brown and his family that the U.S. Army All-America defensive tackle would stay on defense in college. The switch to left tackle just before preseason drills in 2003, his redshirt freshman year, was not one that Brown was fond of at first.

"When I moved, I was real upset," Brown said. "I wanted to play defense and be the best defensive tackle in the country; I had aspirations there. When Joe moved me to offense, my family and I got upset because he told us one thing and then did another.

"But it works out for the best for me. It took me a while to come to like offense, but I am liking it now."

There was little time to sulk when the switch was made, as Brown was given less than a month to learn the offensive plays and all the things necessary to become an effective college offensive lineman.

Learning in games is what helped Brown the most, as he would seek help from tight end Casey Williams in between plays in order to make sure he was on the same page as the rest of the offense.

"It was learning on the fly for me," Brown said.

Last spring, after nearly a year-and-a-half as Penn State's starting left tackle, Brown finally considered himself an offensive player. Just because he felt more comfortable on offense, though, didn't mean he gave up everything he knew from the defensive side. Brown says the aggressiveness he used on defense is still helpful when he has to make certain types of blocks on offense.

Brown graduated in December and is now taking graduate courses. He says that if football doesn't work out, he'd like to work with unions or within the arbitration field.

"I've always thought that in order to be successful you have to have something to fall back on if sports doesn't work out," Brown said.

Brown is being hailed as one of the best offensive linemen in football right now, and a future of playing on Sundays is likely. Instead of going into this year's draft after his junior year of eligibility, the Norfolk, Va., native opted to spend another season at Penn State because he felt he needed another year of development as an offensive lineman.

He also felt that the 2006 Lions had great potential for success and now wants to have a hand in securing Penn State's place toward the top of the college football world.

"Nobody wants to go out as a loser, so I'll do anything it takes to stay where we're at right now," Brown said.

Anything. And that certainly includes work.