NEPAFootball.com
Dominic DeLuca is back for more.
The linebacker and captain announced on social media last week that he would return to the Penn State football team for one more season.
DeLuca also made public his intentions to return to the second annual Northeast Polar Plunge.
For the second straight year, the leader of Wyoming Area’s 2019 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state Class 3A football title, filmed videos for social media and provided other promotional support for the event. Polar Plunges, like this one operated by the Northeast Region, serve as the top fundraising series for Special Olympics Pennsylvania.
DeLuca and Blaise Sokach-Minnick, a teammate at both Wyoming Area and Penn State, will plunge along with others at the event this weekend at Montage Mountain Resort.
The weekend festivities begin Friday morning with the Cool Schools Plunge featuring schools that are part of Special Olympics’ Unified Champion Schools program.
DeLuca and Sokach-Minnick plan to join the students Friday.
As he did last year, DeLuca will also help lead hundreds of participants who are “Freezin’ for a Reason” by jumping into the pool Saturday afternoon. Sokach-Minnick will be with him and both are supplying a signed item for the raffle that is part of the fundraising activities.
MyCIL’s Transitional Skills Center is the presenting sponsor for this year’s plunge. Those interested in participating in the second annual public plunge can learn more at www.northeastplunge.org
Registration begins Saturday at noon with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 1:30 and plunging set to start at 2 p.m.
DeLuca, who first had to rehabilitate his reconstructed knee after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the state final, worked his way up from preferred walk-on to scholarship athlete to special teams captain to a significant role on defense. The linebacker started five games for the national semifinalist team that just finished its season and played a significant role in the rotation at the position in 10 others. He missed one game because of injury.
Sokach-Minnick, a long snapper, appeared in two games as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and another during the recently completed season.
DeLuca is coming off a season in which his interception return produced the first points ever scored by Penn State in the College Football Playoffs. He helped the Nittany Lions win twice to advance through the 12-team bracket to the four-team semifinals where they lost to Notre Dame, 27-24.
Following his two interceptions and touchdown against Southern Methodist in the first round, DeLuca had three solo tackles, including one for a loss in the quarterfinal victory over Boise State.
DeLuca finished the 2024 season with a career-high 40 tackles – 21 solo and 19 assists – in 15 games. DeLuca has been in on 98 tackles, making 10½ tackles for losses, and has intercepted five passes, scored two touchdowns and blocked a punt in 44 career games with the Nittany Lions.
The agribusiness major recently graduated and will continue at Penn State in the 2025 season while continuing his studies on a postgraduate level.
