They've all taken different paths to the major college football level and all three hope to begin to make a mark this season that will serve as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.
Local players on the major college level this year include Galena High graduate Luke Penrose, a junior at the Naval Academy, Douglas High graduate Jake Peterson, a freshman at Penn, and Carson High graduate John Stewart, a freshman at Weber State.
Penrose has continued his gradual rise up the depth chart at Navy. Penrose has switched from slotback on offense to safety on defense where he's risen to third string. He has been slowed by a hamstring injury during fall camp and missed the team's first scrimmage, but he said he should be able to overcome the setback. "I want to try to improve every day," he said.
In Navy's system, Penrose is learning to play both the rover and free safety positions. Penrose expects to dress for all home games and hopes to make the traveling squad. He hopes to receive playing time on special teams this year and his obvious goal is to crack the starting lineup as a senior.
Last year, Penrose dressed for the Army game and traveled with the team to the Houston Bowl where Navy lost to Texas Tech. Penrose also got to see action at slotback against Army.
"I was hoping to get the ball," said Penrose, a 5-10, 185-pounder who runs the 40 in 4.6 seconds. "I was open for the pitch, but the quarterback decided to keep it."
Penrose said to truly understand how special the Army-Navy game is, you have to experience it for yourself. An emotional and traditional moment always comes after the game when each team stands at attention for the other's song.
"It's definitely a one of a kind experience," Penrose said. "It was pretty awesome to get out there. That was pretty cool. It was pretty amazing. Hopefully this year and next year I'll be playing more."
Penrose also hopes to be part of a four-year sweep of Army as Navy has beaten the Cadets in each of Penrose's first two years. "Hopefully we'll beat them all four years," he said.
Navy will look to continue to build on the momentum of last year and will look again to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy by beating Army and Air Force. Another piece of unfinished business is to finally beat Notre Dame. Navy hasn't beaten the Irish since the Roger Staubach era in the early 1960s and were denied last year by a last second field goal.
"We've been right there both times," said Penrose about Navy's losses to Notre Dame in his first two years.
An Oceanography major, Penrose will have more priveleges at the Naval Academy this year as a junior, including being able to drive a car. After the Naval Academy, he could go into surface warfare or may even be a Marine option.
Penrose admits that the world situation is in the back of his mind. "I've got to focus on school and football," he said. "I don't worry about it too much.
"I know it's going to be there. I realize when I came here, I'm going to be serving for five years. Whatever happens, happens."
PETERSON
Peterson, a 6-1, 225-pound middle linebacker, hopes to receive playing time right away at Penn, which will be looking to defend its Ivy League title. The Division I-AA school has won the Ivy League crown two straight years and three of the last four seasons.
"I think we should win the Ivy League," Peterson said. "Penn's got a great football program. We've got a lot of good players."
Peterson has been on campus for nearly two weeks and began fall camp on Monday. "It's all up to me right now," he said. Peterson said if he does well in practice, "I should see a lot of playing time."
He hopes to at least receive playing time on special teams. "I should see some playing time there," he said.
Even at an Ivy League school that stresses academics like Penn, football is still almost like a job, Peterson said.
"It's around-the-clock football," Peterson said. "Everyone's bigger, faster and stronger. It's awesome."
Peterson is also becoming used to Philadelphia. "It's a little different than back home," he said. "I really like it, though. It's just a cool place to be."
STEWART
The 200-pound outside linebacker has already risen up the depth chart ahead of players older than him as he's now at third string. "I just want to make Carson proud," Stewart said. "I'm working hard and lifting hard and trying to do my best to learn everything.
"Everything's just a lot more technical. It's a lot more mental. These guys are a lot bigger, too."
There's still a chance that Stewart could redshirt and he was scheduled to find out his status this weekend.
Even though Stewart is undersized for a linebacker, he said he should be able to make up for it with his speed. "I can definitely see myself competing with these guys just because of my speed," he said.
If he doesn't redshirt, Stewart hopes to receive playing time on special teams and made no secret where he would like to play. "I'd really like to get on the kickoff," said Stewart about the chance to hit someone.
Weber State, a Division I-AA school, is coming off an 8-4 season when it finished third in the Big Sky Çonference to traditional powers Montana and Montana State. Stewart said the obvious goal is to "beat those Montana teams this year."
