Joe Paterno must be a tough guy to impress.

The Penn State football coach had this to say about senior linebacker and Butler graduate Tyrell Sales during his news conference this week:"He's playing better."

Really?

Once fellow linebacker Sean Lee went down with a season-ending knee injury last spring, Sales became the only returning starter at the position. He was thrust into a role of leadership the moment Lee was taken off the field during that ill-fated spring practice.

Because of other player injuries and a suspensions since then, Sales had to become more than just a leader on defense.

He had to become an anchor.

And he has done just that.

Penn State heads to Syracuse Saturday, riding a 2-0 record, a pair of blowout wins over Coastal Carolina and Oregon State and a defense that's allowed 24 total points.

So who's at the top of the Nittany Lion defensive charts through two games?

Tyrell Sales — by a mile.

The 6-foot-2, 233-pound Sales has 15 solo tackles and two assists in the Nittany Lions' first two games. Josh Gaines is second on the defensive unit with nine solo stops.

Sales had nine solos in Penn State's runaway win over Oregon State.

He leads the team in tackles, forced a fumble in the season opener and is quickly establishing himself as the anchor of that defense.

Each step of the way, Sales seems to silence a few more doubters.

There were some who never believed Sales never would get on the field at Beaver Stadium when he accepted a scholarship offer to go there. He wound up seeing action his freshman year.

Some believed Sales would never be a starter at Penn State. He wound up sixth on the team in tackles last season with 50, including five tackles for loss and three sacks.

When Sales was among the Penn State players charged during an off-campus fight before his junior year, some believed his career at Penn State was over. Those charges were dropped and Sales continues on as an all-academic performer.

Eight members of Penn State's defense have been sidelined since April. Lee, tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor suffered season-ending injuries. End Maurice Evans and tackle Abe Koroma were suspended by Paterno for off-the-field troubles.

Defensive lineman Devon Still and safety Nick Sukay were injured and end Jerome Hayes tore his ACLlast week.

Yet the Penn State defense, led by Sales, shines on.

As Paterno said, "he's playing better."

Truth be told, this defense would be hurting if not for Sales.

The Big Ten season is around the corner, and, despite an offense that has rolled up 111 points in two games, Penn State remains a football team with a lot of question marks.

Thankfully, Tyrell Sales isn't one of them.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.