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Pottsville senior makes Power 5 dream reality with Penn State
Pottsville senior Walchak is looking forward to joining the Penn State football program in the fall of 2021. (Credit: Don Holohan/Prostars)

Pottsville senior makes Power 5 dream reality with Penn State

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (BVM) — Pottsville Area High School senior Bobby Walchak always knew that he wanted to play football on a Power 5 team. It is no surprise why he took less than a few hours to give his verbal commitment following Penn State’s offer to him as a preferred run-on for the Nittany Lions. 

“It wasn’t even a day’s decision on knowing I was going to Penn State,” Walchak said. “I got the offer, and I called my parents right after and we knew right then and there I was committing and I told the public a day later.”

Although Walchak was recruited by several other DI programs, including the Dayton Flyers and the Sacred Heart Pioneers, he decided to stay at home and turn down those scholarship offers because he grew up wanting to play for the Nittany Lions.

Walchak said he is basically taking no days off because he is determined to not only make a difference on the field, but he also wants to make a big enough impact to potentially earn him a scholarship after he joins the team in the fall of 2021. 

“I do believe that I can stand out at Penn State and earn a scholarship,” Walchak said. “It’s all up to me though. I’m going to work hard in the weight room and on the field to prove to them that I am worth a scholarship.” 

Walchak finished off his shortened senior season as a captain with 38 total tackles, an interception, and a couple pass break ups. (Credit: Don Holohan/Prostars)

The Pottsville running back and outside linebacker started playing football when he was just 5 years old. He picked up track in the seventh grade since it was a way for him to keep in shape during the football offseason. As his final track season begins, Walchak is looking forward to using it as a way to improve his football skills. 

Walchak said sticking with the track team all these years was a huge reason why he was able to improve his skills enough to get conversations with coaches in the first place, since he was able to work on his strides and his quick releases that he would mimic during 100 meter races. 

Although his senior football season was cut short due to the pandemic, the Crimson Tide played a total of eight games. The team won the Schuylkill League during the regular season and finished 6-2 after a loss against Wilson in the playoffs. 

He was selected as a 2020 Class 4A second team linebacker and he also received 2020 Class 4A all-state team honors as an outside linebacker. Walchak was also named as one of Pennsylvania’s top linebackers within the Class of 2021. 

“I’ve worked extremely hard to get into this position to be able to commit to a Power 5 school,” Walchak said. “Pottsville has been a lot of fun. I feel like my abilities on the field are at the D1 level but now I am ready to step it up to that next level.” 

Winning the Class 4A District 11 championship in 2019 with the Crimson Tide is what Walchak described as his favorite memory with the team. He said now he is ready to win a championship with the Nittany Lions to make himself and his family proud. 

“Football to me is my own little paradise,” Walchak said. “Playing the game, at practice, even in the locker room, you forget about everything else in the world and you’re just having fun with your brothers on the field.”

A future pre-med student, Walchak plans to study kinesiology because he wants to become a physical therapist. He said he has been around sports all his life and wants it to be like that forever.