HOMETOWN
Much like the lineman he was and the coach he is now, Justen “J.D.” Hackenberg was prepared for what was about to come his way.
The question was bound to come up this week, probably multiple times — who will Hackenberg be rooting for Saturday when Penn State hosts Army on its Military Appreciation Day?
There might be no one in Beaver Stadium as conflicted as Hackenberg this weekend. An Army letterman in the early 1990s who now coaches Marian’s offensive and defensive lines, Hackenberg’s nephew Christian is the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions.
“I’ve been waiting for the trap question,” said Hackenberg, who is also Marian’s vice principal. “My heart’s with my nephew, but my loyalty’s with my alma mater. And that’s my official answer.
“That’s a delicate balance. I want him to do well, but I also don’t want my alma mater to lose a football game.”
Hackenberg’s pride for Army, obviously, does not stop on the gridiron. While the three-time letterman played nose guard at West Point from 1991-94, his service in the armed forces spanned 11½ years.
The latter part of his time in the Army came during a turbulent time in the country and took him all the way to Iraq. He was a tank company commander there, putting him directly in charge of a tank company.
By the time he exited the service in 2007, Hackenberg, an armor officer, had attained the rank of major. Everything he went through was what he signed up for after graduating from Marian in 1991, he said.
“I looked at it from a standpoint of, that’s what I was in the service to do,” he said of his work in Iraq. “I never questioned or asked about what I’d be told to do once I committed to go to West Point.”
Mike Makovec, a quarterback and Hackenberg’s classmate at both Marian and Army, said J.D. always showed a blue-collar work ethic, exemplifying “what you’d expect from a coal cracker from this region.”
Even in high school he could tell West Point was a great fit for J.D. Hackenberg (Makovec, related to Christian through a marriage, had an easier time saying he’ll be rooting for an Army win but a good performance from Christian.)
Years removed from the Army and a couple decades removed from the Black Knights’ defensive line, the memories that stand out the most revolve around the people Hackenberg met and the relationships he made.
He cherishes the times his teams defeated Navy.
“People might think it’s something you just talk about, but it meant ... as much as it’s advertised,” he said.
Likewise, J.D. Hackenberg spoke highly of the time spent with his tank company. He noted that some correlation can be made between working together on the football field and being a part of the ultimate team sport.
“For those that come from a competitive background, whether it be sports or something comparable, I think you lean on that to be a successful platoon leader,” Makovec said. “J.D. did what anyone would expect him to do.”
Christian, who attended Virginia’s Fork Union Military Academy in high school, referenced his uncle when telling reporters Tuesday, “I have a ton of respect for that program specifically and the things that are asked of those guys following their playing years there. So it’s something that means a lot to me and my family.”
By the same token, Christian means a good deal to J.D. He said he and the rest of Christian’s family were supportive and involved in every aspect of his journey to Penn State, and that the junior visits the area occasionally in the summer months.
J.D. calls Christian’s poise the most impressive thing about him. He was thrown into the fire as a true freshman starter in 2013 and then had to adjust to a new coaching staff as a sophomore.
“His freshman year, he was just an 18-year-old kid,” J.D. said. “To be out there on the field and be asked to run an offense in front of 100,000 people that have an opinion of you, screaming and yelling at you — unless you lived it, you don’t know what it’s like.”
J.D. hasn’t teased his nephew too much about the upcoming matchup, although he said he may send him a message or two as it draws closer. He won’t offer much of a prediction, but did mention the potential inclement weather could play into the running style of Army, a 25-point underdog, and make for a great game.
No matter which side wins Saturday, J.D. Hackenberg will be the guy in the stands who might not know how loudly to cheer. His emotions will likely be as mixed as his wardrobe — yes, he was ready for that question, too.
“I thought about that as well,” he said. “It might be a Penn State hat and an old Hackenberg Army-Navy jersey.”