When Taylor Biaggi transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College to Portland State last season, he knew he had to pick up his game.         

"Every time you move up, everything is different. The players are faster, bigger and more athletic…better players and better schemes. At each level athletes get better, so I tried to get bigger and faster," said Biaggi, a senior who is playing linebacker and on special teams this year.       

This year's recipient of the Dick Bergman Memorial Endowed Scholarship also said the coaching is better and he credits PSU's coaching staff with working to get him caught up to the new level of play.     

While Biaggi has rotated in at outside linebacker this year, his biggest impact probably has been on special teams.     

"His strength is that he has good speed and he has a good football IQ. He's more of a special teams player at this point," said first year linebacker coach Hansen Sekona.     

Of course, Biaggi would like to see more action at linebacker, but he has really enjoyed his role on special teams.     

"Everyone takes (special teams) seriously here, which isn't always the case," he said. "Special teams is fun at this level. There is an emphasis on special teams here."      

At Portland State, "our special teams are the soul of the team. How we play shows the team's mentality and enthusiasm. There's a special teams mentality," said Biaggi.     

Special teams is a high energy aspect of the game, he said. "There's lots of speed. Everyone is racing to beat the others down the field and make a play. Special teams play can change the game," he said.       

Which is more fun…special teams or linebacker? "Well, that depends. They both have their moments. I guess the best answer is the one where you're making plays is the most fun."      

Between his junior and senior years, Biaggi said he worked to get bigger and faster. Football is a year 'round sport, he said.     

"I spent the entire summer working to improve physically and studying the mental side of the game. We had that zero week game against BYU which meant that much more work for us over the summer."     

Even the one week he was able to spend back home in Windsor, CA he was staying on the meal plan and working out.   

"Your friends call and say 'let's do something', I've been home for several weeks already'. And, you can't because you're concentrating on getting ready for next season. When you have a zero week game, people don't realize how much that effects your summer. You're up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to work out. Then you're just so tired that all you want to do is rest," he said.      

Still, Biaggi said he wouldn't trade his time as a Viking for anything.    

The PSU linebacker corps is especially close and he lists as his football highlights times when he's felt shared on field experiences…."like in the Idaho State game this year…they were playing a hurry up offense and I was in at linebacker. I was really out of breath. Then, I look next to me and here's one of my best friends looking the same way I'm feeling. We just sort of communicate the experience with each other. It may sound funny, but it was a special moment."      

The special bond may have been further cemented this season by a weekly eating experience.     

"We usually try to eat together and once a week, one of the linebackers cooks for the rest of the crew. We're all pretty good cooks. It's just part of the game," he said.       

Biaggi is playing for the Vikings for several reasons. He always wanted to play Division I football and most of his other offers coming out of Santa Rosa Community College were from smaller schools or away from the west coast.       

But the biggest reason, he said, are the post graduate opportunities offered by a city the size of Portland.     

"I wanted to come here and be an impact player, but I also was interested in educational opportunities," he said.       

Biaggi got two associate degrees at Santa Rosa. He'll graduate in communications following winter term and will immediately start looking for internships in marketing or commercial real estate.     

"PSU has relationships with a lot of businesses in Portland. That means a lot of opportunities to get internships. Any more, people don't' just want you with a college degree, they want you to have three or four internships so you have some experience. This is a great place to get that," he said.      

Biaggi's time at Portland State has had a major impact on him.      

Football has been hard work. "There are mornings that you throw up your breakfast and some days you're so black and blue you can hardly move. But, I've just loved it. It's really crazy. We've gotten to travel. I never thought I'd see the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake and we've driven through the Las Vegan Strip. We've seen and done things most students don't get to do."      

As an overall experience, "it's been great here. A lot of the things you learn will be important the rest of your life…you learn so many things outside of football that will impact your life and your family after college. College changes who you are."