Jamelle Cornley just finished a four-year college basketball career that culminated with a 38-game season.
Now comes the hard part.
Months from graduation, the burly forward is keeping all of his options open before he readies for the next phase, or, in this case, sport of his life.
"I am seriously considering football -- mainly professionally -- but there is a chance that I could come back and play football collegiately," Cornley said. "For what team, what university, I do not know yet. But yes, I am seriously considering it."
Since Cornley did not redshirt for the basketball team, he would have one year of eligibility remaining in a different sport.
The men's basketball team's senior captain planned to sit down with the football team's quarterback coach, Jay Paterno, right after the National Invitation Tournament.
Classwork and spring practices kept the two from meeting then, but Cornley said they will get together once things settle down for both.
Standing in the way of his path to the gridiron is his left shoulder, which forced Cornley to miss one NIT game and play the final three heavily bandaged.
Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State's director of athletic medicine, examined the shoulder Wednesday, suggesting surgery that would sideline the NIT's Most Outstanding Player for five to six months. Respectful of the opinion but discouraged by the prognosis, Cornley plans to meet with other doctors to receive a second look.
"You just wanna take precaution,
and maybe somebody else may look at it differently and he and that person can sit down and discuss what's best for me," he said. "But it's just something to look out for."
Cornley, who would like to play tight end on the gridiron, was unsure of the medical term of his injury. His quarterback on the basketball court, Talor Battle, believes Cornley's future remains on the hardwood.
"He just loves it way too much to just try to go do the football thing, because that would just mean -- honestly, in my eyes -- is more for a money standpoint," the point guard said. "But I think he's really good and hopefully he gets a shot to play professionally in the NBA, and if not, I'm sure he'll have a great career in the overseas somewhere."
Cornley said he has received many calls about playing basketball abroad in Italy and Germany and even from some summer camps in America.
He joked that his father, who initially steered him away from football when he was younger, is now one of the game's biggest advocates for his son.
A month from now, though, and the picture should be much clearer.
"About this time in May I'll have a good idea to what I want to do and be pretty set," Cornley said. "I'm never the type to go wishy-washy, I don't jump back and forth. If I stick to something, I'm gonna stick to it. I don't transfer. I don't do any of that stuff because unless I put my mind to it, that's it. Set in stone, and I'm done with it."
