By Annie Ross
Penn State quarterback Chiristian Hackenberg became a hero to Nittany Nation two years ago when he chose to stay in Happy Valley when he could have left in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Hackenberg has done more in his first 12 games at Penn State than any other quarterback in program history.
The 6-4, 235-pound sophomore threw for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2013.
He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2013.
He already holds 13 Penn State records.
And he is the first sophomore captain in team history.
What Hackenberg isn’t, at the moment, is on the short list of favorites to win the 2014 Heisman Trophy.
With PSU’s opener roughly two weeks away, the odds on Hackenberg winning the Heisman are 66-to-1, according to the oddsmakers at Bovada.com
Twenty-two players have better odds than Hackenberg, with returning Heisman winner Jameis Winston of Florida State leading the way at 5-1.
Winston is one of 12 quarterbacks with better odds than Hackenberg, including Notre Dame’s Everett Golson (20-1).
There are four Big Ten players with better odds: Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, who, it was announced yesterday, is out for the season with a shoulder injury (15-2), Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon (16-1), Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah (33-1), and Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook (40-1).
Bovada even has listed a defensive player, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, with better odds (40-1) than Hackenberg.
