SLIPPERY ROCK — Excuse Tony Papley if you notice him smiling a lot around the Slippery Rock University campus these days.

The Rock’s senior nose guard believes he’s on the way to the bank, ready to cash in on a championship for his years of hard work on the gridiron.

“That’s my only goal,” the Slippery Rock High School graduate said. “I want the title. I had a taste of it two years ago and I want it again.”

Papley started on defense for SRU in the 2011 PSAC championship game as a sophomore. He is a two-year letterman who started last season and compiled 62 tackles — 18 solos — with eight tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks.

Not bad for a kid who wandered across the street four years ago looking for an opportunity.

“Tony Papley is a self-made player,” SRU coach George Mihalik said. “He came into this program as a walk-on and turned himself into a scholarship player.

“It’s been all him. He is all about total effort all the time, in the weight room, on the practice field, in the film room, in the classroom and, absolutely, on game days.”

Papley stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 260 pounds. He was 6-1, 265, in high school, where he was part of two playoff teams for the Rockets.

“I’ve had the good fortune of playing for two Hall of Fame coaches in Clyde Conti and George Mihalik,” Papley said. “Just listen to those guys and they’ll get you where you want to go.

“Not many people believed I could play here originally. It’s tough going from high school to college, going from being the big guy to being the little guy, and people kept telling me I was crazy for trying to play here, that I’d never get on the field.

“All that did was fuel my competitive fire,” Papley added.

Even now, he is one of the smallest nose guards in the PSAC.

“I’ll get bigger by eating up all of those double teams,” Papley said, laughing.

His coach doesn’t doubt it.

“Tony is one of the three strongest guys on our team,” Mihalik said. “He’s also one of the quickest nose guards I’ve ever seen. He’s tough to handle in there.

“When he first walked into my office, he said he was simply asking for a chance. I told him we’d give him the opportunity to show us he can help us win and that’s what he did.

“Tony is an example to other Slippery Rock High School players and other Butler County kids ... You don’t have to leave home to be a successful college football player,” Mihalik added.

If tying up two blockers enables a linebacker or fellow lineman a chance to make the tackle, Papley’s fine with it.

“There are plenty of ways to help your team win,” he said. “You have to be the sacrificial lamb every now and then.”

A parks and recreation major, Papley is scheduled to graduate in December. He’s already served an internship in his field.

What he wants to do next is get into coaching.

“I’m looking around for a graduate assistant’s post somewhere next year,” Papley said. “If I coluld do it here, that would be ideal.

“High school or college football coaching is definitely something I want to pursue.”

Mihalik is in his corner in that regard.

“He has such a passion for the game. Tony is one of the emotional leaders on this team,” Mihalik said. “He’d make a very good coach. He’s already talking to the younger players on our team.”

Papley was one of 23 incoming freshman football players at The Rock in 2009. He is one of five left from that class.

“I tell the younger guys about perseverance and sticking it out,” Papley said. “Don’t quit on yourself. Keep at it and it all works out in the end.”