STATE COLLEGE — Jaquan Brisker spent only three years at Penn State, and he arrived in Happy Valley via junior college instead of as a heralded freshman recruit. But the safety from Pittsburgh still managed to leave an imprint on the Nittany Lions program in a short time.
Brisker showcased a knack for the big play in a big spot, like when he intercepted Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz late in the season opener. He was productive and solid, and he showcased laudable toughness. It was clear Brisker was playing through something in that Wisconsin game. He finished strong.
On top of everything, Brisker returned. He could have left Penn State after last year’s 4-5 campaign. But he elected to take advantage of the NCAA waiver granting athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic because he didn’t want to leave on that note.
Brisker will play his final home game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday when Penn State hosts Rutgers on Senior Day. He was honored a year ago before he made his decision to return. This year, it’s final. And Brisker hopes Nittany Lions fans remember him for not just what he did in the blue and white, but how he did it.
“Just about my play on the field, just what I gave to the program, just what I did every time I stepped on the field, just give it my all,” Brisker said Wednesday. “I’m an emotional player, and I just hope that in their eyes, I was one of the best defensive players to walk through here and that I showed what I could do. I hope they’ve seen what I really brought to the table. I hope they appreciate it.”
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Brisker was a standout at Gateway High outside of Pittsburgh, but when the time came for college, Brisker needed to take an alternate route because of academic issues. He traveled from western Pa. to northeastern Pa. to Lackawanna College. Brisker faced difficult odds of breaking out of the junior college ranks to a program like Penn State.
But when Brisker realized the situation that was laid out ahead of him during his senior year at Gateway, he knew that he was the one person who could help himself navigate it. And he did.
“After my senior year, after my football season, I told myself that I’m going to do what I got to do in school and then in football to make it here to this level,” Brisker said. “I told myself and I always believed in myself. That’s where you have to start first, so no matter what nobody said to me or anything, I believed in myself and I bet on myself, so I just told myself to just keep going. You’re going to have to do it in school and then the football is the easy part.
“So I definitely believed I would be here today, but I knew it would be a long road, and that’s why I chose Lackawanna. That was my commitment because I knew how long it would take, but I knew it would be worth it.”
Brisker also faced personal hardships. After Brisker’s sophomore season at Gateway, his older brother Tale’ was shot and killed. And while the tragedy could have derailed Brisker’s career, he’s turned it into a source of inspiration.
After his interception against Wisconsin, Brisker tweeted, “That was for my Brother Tale’ Brisker. I love you so much.”
Brisker’s past and how he’s channeled it into the present has resonated with his teammates. He was voted a team captain this season, and he’s emerged as an emotional and vocal leader in his short time with the program.
“He’s been our guy that’s No. 1, dependable,” linebacker/defensive end Jesse Luketa said Wednesday. “A situation where it’s getting down to the crunch, he’s made some tremendous big-time plays, and that’s exactly what Brizzy wants to be and who he wants to be known as. So I’m extremely proud of how he’s played this season, and I hope he’s made his brother proud.”
Brisker’s main goal in returning for the 2021 season was to erase the bad memories from a year ago. But he’s also boosted his personal stock for the 2022 NFL Draft with his performance. Brisker has 48 tackles (33 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery this season.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay ranked Brisker as his No. 3 safety in the draft class. McShay’s colleague, Mel Kiper Jr., also ranks Brisker as the No. 3 safety in the class, while ESPN’s Jordan Reid projected Brisker to join former teammate Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 28 overall pick in a recent mock draft.
Brisker also accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he’ll get the chance to showcase his skills to NFL teams in the annual postseason all-star game.
“On the field, I feel like I developed just trusting my instincts more and just playing fast, just reading my keys and striking and getting off blocks,” Brisker said. “I feel like I improved on just making my plays, just doing what I can for the team and making every play that comes to me.”
But this season and the past three years at Penn State overall have been about more than just improving his play on the field. Brisker highlighted his academic improvement as something he’s proud of, and he’s slated to get his degree from Penn State. For someone who took a winding path to this point with plenty of bumps and detours, Brisker is proud of what he’s been able to accomplish.
And now, it’s time for him to make one final impression in a Penn State uniform. He has two regular season games left and potentially a bowl game. Others might not have expected Brisker to be in this position, but he believed he would be. On Saturday, he’ll get the chance to bask in it at Beaver Stadium.
“It means a lot, especially from what I went through when I was younger and all through high school and junior college, it means a lot,” Brisker said. “Just to even be here, to set foot on campus here at State College, wearing that jersey. It means a lot to me and my family, and especially just the academic piece, doing well in academics and I’ll be graduating this summer so getting the degree here at Penn State.
“Playing football here at Penn State, it’s just — I’m just thankful. There’s a lot of people that wish they were in my shoes, and I don’t take it for granted. I’m thankful every single day.”
Read more: Penn State’s Senior Day participants might still face decision on whether to return for extra year
Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com. You can follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow PennLive’s Penn State coverage on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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