“The why for me is my mom,” said Tony Rojas. If that doesn’t sum up Rojas’ journey, we don’t know what does. It seems that the linebacker has known what pain is all his life, be it with his mother’s suffering or tough falls on the gridiron. But the result? Yeah, a star rose. And as the Nittany Lions prepare for their showdown against Purdue today, his “why” must be rooting for him. So, what made Rojas into the football player he is today? Looks like you will have to read on.

Penn State’s star linebacker Tony Rojas had a pretty tough journey before he became a big name in college football. Growing up in Fairfax City with a single mom who was struggling with health concerns wasn’t easy. His mother, Daniela, has a condition that she described as “severe neuropathy fibromyalgia lyme disease.” Now, pair this with hefty hospital bills, a money crunch, and an absent father, the pressure riding on young Rojas must’ve been high.

Today, talking about the reason behind his success and firm determination on the Big Ten Network, Tony Rojas said, “Not being stable, my mom not having all the income sources, football is kind of just my way to get out of things. I just like hitting people for free, honestly, just bringing out all the anger I feel like I’ve had held up when I was a kid and just bringing it out on the football field. I feel like that just gave me a lot of passion.” Well, Tony Rojas showed that overcoming life’s challenges is about fighting back with all your strength, not dwelling on them.

Just like the fictional character Ted Lasso often chanted, “Futbol is life,” the same rings true for the Penn State linebacker. Since he enrolled in the program in January 2023, he dived straight into action in all 13 games, scoring 21 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception.  Though his freshman performance may have surprised many, he was far from surprised. After all, for him, “football is everything.” And now, as a sophomore, he has dived into training harder and has bulked up to tackle the challenges on the gridiron full-on.

The motivation behind his stellar gameplay, you ask? His mother and two sisters. Being a true “mama’s boy,” he pushes his mom to go through her tough days, just like his mother provides her unwavering support to him through his football journey. Even during his school days, when he was described as an anomaly, his teammates and coaches would often want to talk about his mom and his heart.

“Her being over in surgeries and having someone like Tony who’s always there behind closed doors to be the man of the household that he can be — and in return she’s given him everything that she can — it’s this working balance where they want what is best for each other,” Fairfax assistant coach Darnell Parker said. “I think that’s what drives their relationship to be so strong.”

Coming back to the Nittany Lions, teammates have often debated his gameplay, particularly his remarkable growth between his freshman and sophomore seasons, which strength coach Chuck Losey called “just blew up” his game. Now, let’s talk about his standings this season.

Tony Rojas’ impressive gameplay

Well, Tony Rojas is emerging as one of the leading weapons of Penn State’s defense. Since the start of the season, Rojas has been in his best form, and his presence in the team has only made their journey easier in the long run. This is evident knowing the fact that Tony stands in fifth position in his team in recording 15 tackles and third in tackle for loss (2.5) playing for just four games, which is quite impressive standing as a sophomore player.

Moreover, Tony Rojas backed the team when it was needed the most. During Penn State’s game against Bowling Green, Rojas did something that gave the team a win of 34-27 against the Falcons. In the last quarter of the game, Rojas stepped up and completed the interception pass from quarterback Connor Bazelak, giving another possession to the team. Now you can understand why Tony Rojas is considered one of the exceptional players of the team. Let’s find out if Tony’s participation can alter the team’s destiny as they face Purdue today.