NFL draft prospect Christian Hackenberg has plenty to say about his college career.
"I played for three years at Penn State, and throughout that entire span, it always hasn't been awesome," the quarterback said last month.
Hackenberg's word choice of "awesome" doesn't quite encompass it all.
Before Hackenberg arrived in Happy Valley, before he was sacked 103 times in three seasons and saw his completion percentage drop from 59 to 53 percent, before his head coach and star receiver bolted to the NFL, he had a chance to bolt himself.
In the summer of 2012, when Hackenberg was a high school senior, Penn State was hit with NCAA sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal: a $60 million sanction, a four-year football postseason ban and a vacation of all wins dating to 1998.
The team also lost 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period.
"I was in high school when I found out about the sanctions," Hackenberg said. "I was out at Elite 11 (the premier quarterback competition for prep school athletes, coached by current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer).
"Personally, I took it as a hit, but I wasn't crushed by it. Looking back now, I realized I learned not to act irrationally. I think anybody in that situation would have picked up the phone and said, 'Hey, I'm opening up the recruiting process again and doing it.'"
Almost immediately after the sanctions were handed down, Hackenberg began receiving calls from college coaches around the country. He was freed of his commitment to Penn State, allowing him to play football for a different school without punishment.
Hackenberg shut off his phone.
"I wouldn't pick it up. I just wanted to think about it for a little bit, and rely on my tight-knit group who, at that point, was my parents, my brothers and my high school coach."
He continued to lean on those closest to him, and together they decided he would remain committed to Penn State -- a choice he says without a doubt was the right one.
"Of course there were a lot of emotions running through your mind like, 'All right. This is not exactly what I was being told when I was going through the process of what was going to happen,'" he said. "Looking back, nothing changed. We just weren't going to play in a couple of bowl games, and have a little less scholarships than other people."
After beating out Tyler Ferguson for the starting QB job heading into the 2013 season, Hackenberg quickly established himself as a threat at Penn State. As a freshman, he led the Nittany Lions to a 7-5 record and bowl eligibility -- unfortunately during a time when they were banned from playing in one.
"That year was a testament to how special Penn State is," he recalled. "When the world thought the sanctions were going to split us all apart, it actually brought us closer together. You can count on one hand how many other programs could have survived something like that." Not all programs had partnerships as unique and effective as that of Hackenberg and head coach Bill O'Brien -- the former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots from 2009-11.
"Coach O'Brien's an extremely fiery guy, and we played with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," Hackenberg said when describing his former coach. "We were out to prove everyone wrong. Bill Belichick was big on ... when the media would print something or say something, he'd stick it in that locker room. Coach O'Brien brought that."
Hackenberg also took advantage of the pro-style offense that O'Brien implemented during his time at Penn State; one that often gave his quarterback -- an 18-year old freshman -- the responsibility to change plays at the line of scrimmage.
"We ran the same offense [as the Patriots], pretty much," Hackenberg said with a laugh. "The best way it was put to me by coach O'Brien was this: I'm an extension of the offensive coordinator on the field. He gives me the keys to the car, and I just go drive it."
Hackenberg finished his season 231-of-392 for 2,955 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Adversity impacts Hackenberg's young career
Just as things were seemingly falling into place for Hackenberg and the football program, adversity struck again: star receiver Allen Robinson bolted to the NFL draft and Bill O'Brien left to become the Houston Texans' coach.
"He did what he had to do," Hackenberg said of O'Brien's departure. "We just had to adapt. With all the adversity and all the stuff going around with sanctions, we finally trusted a guy again as a team. It was just hard for us to do that."
O'Brien's replacement, James Franklin, started in January 2014.
When describing his two years with his last coach, Hackenberg keeps the conversation brief.
"Coach Franklin had to focus on other things. We had a good relationship, but really, I just spent a ton of time with my quarterback coaches and my offensive coordinator. I'd just say it was just a different dynamic from both Coach Franklin and Coach O'Brien."
The dynamic change seemed to take its toll on Hackenberg, culminating in a career-low 53.5 percent completion of his passes in 2015, which ranked 96th out of 114 qualified quarterbacks.
Of his past two seasons, Hackenberg remains positive. "I was put through a lot of adversity I'd never faced before in my career," he said. "Throwing a bunch of interceptions, taking a bunch of sacks, getting beat up. So, being able to do that and stay on the field, never miss a start, and be a good leader? That was a huge learning experience for me."
Hackenberg's reluctance to blame Franklin for his on-field troubles speaks volumes of his character, according to former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, who met with Hackenberg last month in Orlando, Florida.
"I don't remember him sending out tweets or text messages or saying the wrong thing, questioning anything that happened," Gruden said. "He stayed at Penn State with all the turmoil. He was true to his commitment. When coach O'Brien left, he stayed. It's clear to me that he stayed true to himself and true to Penn State."
For Hackenberg, who considers himself "battle tested," the next challenge will be a welcome one; an attitude he thinks is a strength over his fellow quarterbacks entering the draft.
"A lot of guys that go through their college career where everything's great and they win, and they never really get punched in the mouth," he said. "Having been hit in the mouth multiple times, gotten back up, and continued to fight through is something I'll always take a lot of pride in."