Penn State football captain KJ Winston isn’t afraid of delivering the ‘tough’ message

Vocal leadership is a quality that comes naturally to some football players. To others, they lead by example and do the right thing each day. For Penn State football newly selected team captain, KJ Winston vocal leadership comes naturally to him. Nittany Lion safeties coach Anthony Poindexter has recently explained how Winston can deliver difficult messages.

KJ Winston is regarded as one of the top returning safeties in college football entering the 2024 season. He has earned preseason All-American honors and looks to lead Tom Allen’s defensive unit this season. On Saturday, Winston was named a team captain among Drew Allar, Nick Dawkins, Dom DeLuca, Kobe King, and Riley Thompson.

It’s no surprise to Anthony Poindexter as he has recently praised Winston’s leadership to Nate Bauer of Blue White Illustrated.

“Real leaders say tough stuff to their teammates because it’s just how we do things. A lot of times it’s better coming from you than from the coaches. That’s who he is as a person.”

What kind of production is Penn State returning with Winston?

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In 2022 Winston primarily played on special teams. He appeared in 12 games collecting 16 tackles and one tackle for loss. But in the offseason between 2022 and the spring of 2023, that’s where Winston took off. He earned the starting safety role that was left open by Ji’Ayir Brown who left for the NFL Draft.

Last season Winston accounted for 61 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and one interception. As a member of the 2022 recruiting class, KJ Winston carried a four-star ranking according to 247Sports. He was regarded as the No. 8 safety in his class and looks to lead the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff this fall.

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