Penn State Captain, Dominic DeLuca Sets Sights on NFL Draft
On Saturday, December 27, 2025, Penn State Football brought its 2025/26 season to a close with a Pinstripe Bowl victory over the Clemson Tigers. The final win, on the turf at Yankee Stadium, capped the team’s overall record at 7-6. The day was bittersweet for West Pittston native and 3-year team captain, Dominic DeLuca. The lifelong Yankees fan deemed it a “dream come true” to finish his college football career at Yankee Stadium.
The victory not only marked the end of DeLuca’s tenure as a Nittany Lion, it brought closure to a tumultuous season. The team endured several tough losses early in the fall and then, after the sixth game, they witnessed the termination of longtime Head Coach and mentor, James Franklin. For DeLuca, who grew close to Franklin since walking on in 2021, the mid-season transition presented a true test of the team’s resilience. After a few more tough losses, the Nittany Lions bounced back to win out the remaining four games, including the Pinstripe Bowl.
A Football Journey Continues
Just three days after the final game of his PSU career, DeLuca announced his intention to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Next, he will spend nine weeks at an intensive training camp in Colorado. From there, it’s on to an NFL Pro Day, where prospects showcase position-specific skills, display strength, conditioning and agility and meet with coaches and evaluators for in-person interviews. Pro Days for 2026 will take place in March and April.
We caught up with Dominic last week prior to his departure for Colorado and reflected on his time at Penn State and the start of his new journey.
The team went out with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. How did that feel?
It was awesome. Just to be able to end my time at my dream school in a game at Yankee Stadium. I mean I’m a big Yankees fan. I sat with my pop and watched games all the time when I was a kid and never thought I’d play a game in that stadium. And my pop was always my reason why I played football and why I wanted to go to Penn State. So, this was like wrapping up that story in a cool way. Kind of like reminding me that he’s been behind me the whole time.
The team faced quite a bit of adversity this season. What was it like to lose your Head Coach mid-season?
It was just awful. It’s kind of hard to really explain the feeling. Our Athletic Director came in and told us what happened. And Coach Franklin was able to at least address it with us first. I mean, it was just all over the place the first couple of days. It was chaos on campus and in the locker room. We were all just trying to get back on our feet and back together as a team. It was very difficult. I think we started to accept it and find our way through it by mid-week. It definitely hurt us that first week after. Luckily, we had a bye week after that, and things finally started to settle down. And we were able to be where our feet are and plan to get back on track and moving forward.
What was the key for you and your teammates bouncing back this season?
I give all the credit to Coach Terry Smith. He’s the one who put the broken pieces back together. He made sure we were still having fun in meetings and at practice. He took care of us a little bit more on the field and made sure we were not distracted and avoiding injuries. He especially wanted to make sure we had fun and enjoyed the rest of our season. He kept us focused on the fact that, at the end of the day, it’s still the game we all fell in love with as kids. He really tried to emphasize that for us.
Reflecting on your tenure at Penn State – ACL injury out of high school to run-on player to Captain, Bowl games, losing your Head Coach and mentor… How would you encapsulate all that?
It’s been hard for me to wrap my own head around it as it all comes to a close. If you told me I was going to be starting linebacker and captain for Penn State five years ago, I would have told you that you were crazy. I feel like that’s just what my NEPA upbringing is all about. You just put your head down and work and you can achieve anything you think about.
I was never given anything in life. My parents always taught me from a young age that you have to work for what you want. And I credit that mentality for setting me up for success when I got to Penn State. I was an underdog. I was never really recruited in high school by any of the big schools. So, once the opportunity to play at Penn State presented itself, I knew it was a no-brainer.
What will you miss most about playing at Penn State?
Definitely the guys. I’ll miss my teammates and coaches and the brotherhood and the close relationships I formed. It’s going to be hard. I mean I still have a lot of my guys here at home, but I’m going to miss those guys that I went to war with over the past few years. I hope they’ll be in my wedding someday. Or that I’ll have the honor to be a part of theirs. We built strong relationships together and suddenly we go our separate ways. That’s tough. But, who knows, I might find myself lining up against them again in the future (laughs).
How did you finish up academically at Penn State?
That’s funny because nobody really ever asks that one. So, I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Business Management. I really enjoyed my major. It’s like studying finance, but applying it to farming and agriculture. I followed that up with a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Development and Change, which is kind of a cross between workforce education and management.
And, yes. Everybody asks me if I grew up on a farm. I didn’t. I’m from West Pittston, but I‘ve spent time on farms and around cows. I’m an avid hunter and outdoorsman. And I have an end goal of someday owning my own farm. So, that’s definitely a part of the plan. But I’m considering a career in law enforcement as well, maybe something with the F.B.I.
I’ve also had a few job offers through networking events at school. I am considering a lot of options. That’s one of the huge benefits of going to Penn State. The alumni network is incredible and they really come back looking to hire recent graduates.
On to the NFL. You’re about to start getting ready for Pro Day. What is expected of you at training?
It’s going to be six days a week and a day of recovery for nine weeks straight. I’m basically just trying to perfect running 40 yards in a straight line as fast as possible. And I’ll also be working on the 5/10/5 which is called the 20-yard shuttle and the L Drill, or the 3-cone drill. I’m going to be focusing on perfecting my technique and studying for the interviews. I hope I’ll end up in better shape than I ever was while at school.
Where do you see yourself fitting in when you look at the NFL landscape?
I can see me making a name for myself as a special teams guy. And then I feel like I can show that I can have a true impact as a defensive player as well. That’s exactly how I did it at Penn State and I don’t see it being any different. You have to kind of stand out when you’re not the biggest recruit or the biggest player coming out of college. I feel like my history of being the underdog will help. I just need to get my foot in the door, and I know I’ll make the most of the opportunity.
How would you sum up all of the support that carried you through your career at PSU?
It has been awesome! It really made me open my eyes to just how much my family and my community has my back. Whether I was playing in California, Florida or New York, my family is going to travel to come and support me. They roll in big groups, and they make it one way or another – driving cross country or flying.
And I even get a lot of support when I’m back home in NEPA. I just ran into this older gentleman at CVS the other day. He started by telling me how proud he was of me and how the community always backed me 100%. Then, he looked back and said, “No. 200%.” It just gives you a feeling of like, “Wow! They really do believe in me here.” I love that.
Over the years, I’ve gotten messages from both kids and grown-ups telling me that they loved watching me play. That’s what it means when you see athletes talk about having community support. It helps keep me going and striving to achieve more and make it to the next level. And from the other side, it feels good to know that I’m inspiring young kids who may be in the same position that I was in back in the day. You know… coming from a small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania and showing the world what we’re made of and how we’re just as talented as all these other big football states.
Does it feel like an end or a beginning?
Ugh… my mom asked me the same thing. It’s a tough one to think about. It’s kind of bittersweet. I don’t want to leave Penn State, but I think it’s my time. I’ve been there for five years. It felt like half my life. I think I need a change of scenery, if that makes sense. I’m going to miss Nittany Nation, of course. I’m also going to miss all of the relationships I’ve built. But it all definitely feels like more of a beginning than an end of something. And I’m excited for the future.
