FRISCO, Texas — Growing up just 10 minutes from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs knows a thing or two about great linebacker play.
That education on linebacker play accelerated once he headed to college, landing at Linebacker U in Happy Valley with a Nittany Lions program that has pumped out some greats like Jack Ham, Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington, Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Micah Parsons and more. While at Penn State, Jacobs (6010, 236) was a three-year starter and finished his 45-game career with 171 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two interceptions, five passes defensed, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
Coming from Baltimore, he brings that hard-nosed, physical mindset. The same one that he saw throughout his childhood from an all-time great like Ray Lewis, not to mention standouts Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas. Now, he’s hoping to bring that same mindset to the NFL, modeling his game after a current great Ravens’ linebacker in Roquan Smith, he told Steelers Depot down in Dallas at the 99th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl.
“I’m a Baltimore kid, right around the corner from the stadium, probably like five minutes away. Just seeing how Roquan [Smith] operates, his footwork is immaculate,” Jacobs said regarding Smith, a guy he watches quite a bit of tape on. “He makes plays, and he’s always around the ball, and that’s the type of linebacker I want to be.”
Smith, who checked in at the Combine ahead of the 2018 NFL draft at 6007, 236 pounds, has great footwork and processes very quickly at the linebacker position. He’s stepped into Baltimore and become one of the best linebackers in the NFL, period. He’s become an outright tackling machine, racking up 158 tackles last season for the Ravens, dominant all season for Baltimore.
Jacobs aims to be just like him, especially with a similar build and play style, flying around downhill against the run while being a smart, savvy defender in coverage that puts him around the ball often.
Despite the impressive three-year span at Penn State as a starter, Jacobs believes he really didn’t start to take that step forward as a linebacker until former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz came to the program ahead of the 2022 season. Diaz, who just took the head coaching job at Duke, helped lead Penn State to an elite-level defense the last two seasons.
Jacobs was a big part of that, and it was due to Diaz helping him develop from a mental aspect.
“Coach Diaz was really the first coach to explain to us how, like, why he did things, ’cause of what the offense was doing, and I feel like for the first time I wasn’t just running, playing,” Jacobs said of what changed for him under Diaz. “I was out there trying to be that guy to make a play because I knew what was gonna happen. I feel like that was one of the most important parts I added to that game.”
Adding that mental aspect to his game, pairing it with his physical abilities, unlocked a new level to Jacobs’ game.
Once the mental aspect was there, Jacobs could just play fast and free, and it showed up in his final season with the Nittany Lions.
“I feel like once I got to a point where I knew what the offense wanted to do and how I can affect that, I feel like that changed the game for me,” Jacobs added.
With that mental aspect of his game in place to go along with his physical traits, Jacobs aims to be a physical presence in the NFL, one that can step in and lead a defense, much like he did at Penn State the last few seasons. If he has his way, he’ll play similarly to Smith, too, regardless of where he lands.
