Going into last season, then junior Paris Penn faced a complex situation. He'd played backup quarterback for two years but last season was the first time Penn played a whole football season uninjured.      

"My goal was to play the entire year without injuries. It was to stay productive and do everything I could to help make the team win," said the recipient of the 2016-17 Norm Daniels Endowed Scholarship.       

Besides trying for a healthy year, the highly-touted Grant High School player was also looking at an uncertain future with the arrival of junior transfer quarterback Alex Kuresa, who was expected to challenge successfully (and did so) to be the Vikings' starting quarterback.      

"I'd been a backup and that already had me thinking of trying something else. I don't think I was disappointed. It was really expected," Penn said.      

What he may not have expected was the expanded role the coaching staff had in mind for him.

"He's an enormous talent and guys with that kind of ability have to touch the football," said last year's FCS National Coach of Year Bruce Barnum, who has begun his second season at the Viking helm. "The only thing that has kept him back are injuries…there had been something wrong until last season."     

Barnum and his coaching staff designed a triple-threat role for Penn. He was utility quarterback, lining up behind center, split wide and was a running back in a variety of formations.  "We've asked him to play darned near very position on the field," Barnum said.      

The biggest change for Penn was playing wide receiver, where he started three games.  "I'd never done that before and it took a while to get more comfortable doing that. You do that by getting reps in games and in practice."        

Still, his favorite position is "wildcat" quarterback, where "you get the ball and use your running ability or big body to run."     

Penn met or exceeded Barnum's expectations. He rushed 47 times for 209 yards and four touchdowns (including 57 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings exciting win over Washington State), caught 11 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. He also had touchdowns against Idaho State and Montana.     

"He made the transition from full-time quarterback and never complained about it to me or the staff. Everything we've asked him to do he's done. Paris has great humility. He's a big, superb athlete. He's one of the most selfless kids I've ever met. He really wants to win more than just about anyone in college football," Barnum said.      

Penn's goal for the upcoming season is "to be as productive as possible for the team… block downfield, catch TDs, be as productive as possible and win as many games as possible."      

Barnum wants him to touch the football more and has added a tailback piece for him. He, along with running back Nate Tago, should get the bulk of the Vikings' running plays. "We've designed as many ways as possible to get the football into his hands."       

Penn is on track to graduate next spring and plans graduate work at PSU.       

He wants to enjoy his last year…"enjoy playing, enjoy my teammates, enjoy the coaches…just enjoy the whole thing."  He also wants a repeat performance from last year for the team when "guys had fun playing for each other and for the coaches. There was a lot of trust by the coaches and by us in each other. That's why we won so many games. Guys wanted to play and give 100 percent every day."       

And, Barnum thinks it'll happen. "He's mentally and physically ready to have a great year… he's ready!" Barnum said.