Many observers say there is a good reason why Royster came back. The Fairfax, Va., native is just 481 yards away from breaking the Penn State record for career rushing yards held by Curt Warner, who amassed 3,398 from 1979 through 1982.
There's more, however. To hear Royster tell it, it's "the stadium, the atmosphere, everything that comes with college."
"There wasn't one specific reason that was the deciding factor," he said. "It was a lot of things. I wanted to have my senior year here. I wanted to come back and be able to improve my draft stock. I wanted to have another shot at a Big Ten championship. It's a lot of things.
"I don't think the money was worth it. College is an experience. It's been fun so far, and I'm hoping to get another year like" the previous ones.
Royster, who redshirted as a freshman, announced he would return for his senior season less than one week after the Nittany Lions ended their 2009 campaign with a Capital One Bowl win over LSU. NFL draft observers had projected Royster as a mid-round pick.
The return of Royster means he can cement his legacy alongside Warner, Blair Thomas, Lydell Mitchell, John Cappelletti and others in the pantheon of great Penn State running backs. When discussing the rushing record at media day, he took a deep breath at one point and conceded, "It's tough to talk about.
"It's something that I really want to do," he said. "I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not thinking about it, because I am. I want it more than anything really. It's something I'll take with me for the rest of my life.
"Once it happens, I'll be happy that it has, and I'll just be looking to build on it and get back to playing the game and not have to think about it so much."
