NOTE: New coach Matt Campbell and his staff have made it a priority to connect with Penn State's former players and the history of the program. This is the second in a continuing series of offseason essays highlighting Penn State football history focusing on the players. It will also include some stories about our unique community of fans.   In our first essay we talked about Penn State’s great history of linemen on both sides of the ball. That is the foundation of any great

For many of the Penn State Football Alumni, there have been numerous encouraging signs from new Coach Matt Campbell.  Many former players were glad to hear him talk about the importance of developing young men and a commitment to academics.   Campbell also stated that he wants his players to understand the history of Penn State. In college football, there is a value in tradition, in wanting to be part of something bigger than yourself. Penn State existed long before this gene

Early Tuesday morning, we lost our dog Penny. It was a sad and unexpected ending, even though we suspected the end was not far off. She was family. And along the way she left enduring footprints that will never fade from my life’s journey. Penelope Sunday December 11, 2011, my wife Kelley, in league with our veterinarian Fred Metzger had found a dog for us. Our first dog Rosey had passed a little less than two years before. But Kelley and Fred knew that given what was going o

Wednesday Afternoon Practice in Beaver Stadium This weekend Hockey Valley explodes into the national consciousness as the college hockey world turns its attention to Penn State. And while some may not love the cold weather, the snowy winter wonderland has made this valley a picture postcard perfect backdrop for a dramatic weekend of hockey.   It’s a big weekend series for the #4 Penn State’s men’s team as they host #2 Michigan State. And on Friday afternoon Penn State’s #4 Wo

1 st Down: SEC Bias has Company Going Forward: The confetti has fallen, the trophies have just barely made it back to Bloomington and already the talk has turned to the “Way Too Early Top 25” rankings for next year as well as the talk of a 16-team playoff or even a 24-team playoff. ESPN posted a way-too-early Top 25 that is loaded with SEC teams. But they also threw in an equal serving of Big Ten teams. There are no non-Power 4 conference teams in these rankings even thoug

Pre-Game Warm-ups: On Campus Quarterfinals: While the announced attendances for the quarterfinal games would indicate that the crowds were good, the images on TV suggested some softness. That's likely a function of asking fans to travel to three bowl games. Assuming a National title game run, this is how it breaks out in air miles traveled for fans of the four semifinalists. The Ole Miss path winds from New Orleans, to Glendale, AZ and to Miami. That’s 4,828 roundtrip miles.