Adisa Isaac explains what an honor it was to be named team captain at Penn State

Adisa Isaac is set to participate in Saturday’s Reece’s Senior Bowl in the hopes of boosting his draft stock ahead of the NFL Combine in March.

Anchoring the Penn State defensive unit in 2023, Isaac was named as a team captain for his final year in Happy Valley. Sitting down with On3’s Andy Staples on Thursday, Isaac revealed what it meant to him personally to earn the recognition of his coaches and peers.

“It was great. It was very eye-opening that my teammates voted me in for that type of role,” Isaac told Staples. “I was just very honored at a place like Penn State, being a team captain. It’s a great responsibility and great honor.”

Isaac could’ve declared for the draft last year but opted to run it back with Penn State. Not only did it pay off in the classroom as he earned his degree, but it also paid off as he turned in the best numbers of his career. He set new career highs with 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks — leading the Nittany Lions in both categories. That came after 11 TFLs and 4.0 sacks a year ago.

Even more, Isaac opted to play in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss instead of opting out to focus on becoming healthy for the 2024 NFL Draft. He stuck with his team and even if the Nittany Lions came up short, his dedication to his program was on full display thanks to his unselfish decision.

Now, he joins fellow Nittany Lion teammates Theo Johnson, Kalen King, and Johnny Dixon as Penn State alum to play in the Reece’s Senior Bowl.

Before college, however, the potential for Isaac to succeed at the collegiate level was always there. He was one of the top prospects out of New York and ended up playing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2019. He missed 2021 with injuries, but cemented himself as one of the Big Ten’s top EDGE rushers in 2022 and ultimately claimed 11.5 sacks during his final two seasons in Happy Valley.

This past season, he was tied for second place in the conference in tackles for loss with 13.5, which was the most out of all EDGE rushers in the conference. He also ranked third in the Big Ten in sacks with 7.5.

The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place from April 25-27 live from Detroit. By the end of the event, Isaac will know where the first stop in his NFL career will be.