He doesn't hesitate when he answers a question and speaks with no doubt lingering in his voice.
Josh Hull believes in his ability, doesn't pay attention to his doubters and is confident he will have a starting position when the season begins.
"I'm 100 percent confident enough in my talent that I'm going to be on the field playing linebacker at one of the three spots," Hull said before competing in last Friday's Lift for Life.
With Sean Lee sidelined last season, Hull stepped into a starting role alongside Navorro Bowman and Tyrell Sales. Playing mostly in the middle, he finished second on the team with 75 tackles.
But with the increased playing time came talk from critics who questioned the ability of the former walk-on. Was he athletic enough? Could he make big plays?
Just 5.5 of Hull's 75 tackles were made for a loss. In comparison, Bowman recorded 16.5.
"It's definitely a chip on your shoulder," he said of the criticism. "But I'm not trying to prove myself to anybody but myself. That's my opinion, and that's how it's going to be."
Hull believes he transformed into a more instinctive linebacker as the 2008 season progressed, becoming more comfortable with assignments and reacting more quickly.
Perhaps the turning point came in the win at Purdue, when Hull made 11 unassisted tackles -- two more than he recorded in the first six games combined.
Now, he hopes his continued development carries over to the new season.
"It's going to be a lot different for me," he said. "I started out a little too slow last year, and toward the end I really picked it up. I want to start this season where I left off last season.
"With that quick start, I think it's going to be smooth sailing from there."
The return of Lee gives Penn State two preseason All-American candidates between he and Bowman. When asked about those two motivating each other, Hull pointed out that he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as his two teammates.
Instead of just competing with opposing teams, Hull said the three linebackers are competing with each other to prove who is the "top dog."
Not only are they fueled by the competition with each other, but also by the competition from up-and-coming players.
"We've got a bunch of guys who can play, a bunch of talented guys," Lee said. "You know about Navorro already, you know about Josh Hull, a guy like Mike Mauti who's extremely talented, a guy like Nate Stupar, a guy like Chris Colasanti. They're all guys who have been here working really hard and who I think will get a shot to play."
It's unclear where each linebacker will play, though. Hull played mostly in the middle last season, while Lee has spent most of his career on the outside. However, Penn State coach Joe Paterno has indicated that Lee could shift to the inside, while neither Lee nor Hull is certain yet where they will play.
Hull said he likes playing the middle because he can see the field better, but the outside presents more of an opportunity to make big plays.
Regardless of where he plays, Hull wants the younger players to look to him as a mentor.
"I definitely have proven myself to my players to the point that I think they can look up to me," Hull said. "Day in and day out at practice, at the workouts, I always go 100 percent, 110 percent. The younger kids know that, and I hope they look up to me as a role model going into this season."
