Maybe the most memorable soundbite from Friday’s press conference introducing James Franklin’s coaching staff came from Charles Huff, the Nittany Lions’ special teams coordinator and running backs coach. Huff, who said he’d been asked repeatedly about the “identity” of his special teams units, offered up a phrase that stumped most (if not all) of the assembled media: a “nekton mentality.”
He smiled as he added, “I’m not sure how many science teachers are in the building…” Continue reading
Photo by Tina Hay
For all of the memorable things James Franklin said when he was introduced last weekend as Penn State’s 16th head football coach, the line about the balloons might’ve been the most memorable of all. In case you missed it:
“Me and my wife and children will be out in this community. We’ll not turn down a speaking engagement. We’ll get out and interact with people … People ask us to blow up balloons at their kid’s birthday party in the backyard, we’ll do that.” Continue reading
Penn State got its man.
With James Franklin’s arrival today as the Nittany Lions’ 16th head football coach, that’s the only logical conclusion. Less than two years removed from NCAA sanctions that many thought would cripple the program, Penn State has hired arguably the most dynamic and talented young coaching prospect in the nation. Continue reading
Photo by Steve Manuel
Well, it’s official. Bill O’Brien is gone, not quite two years to the day since he first stepped on campus. The 15th head football coach in Penn State history leaves with a two-year record of 15-9, but of course his tenure can never be judged by those numbers alone. Continue reading
Photo by Steve Manuel
“The cheers and excitement in that final post-game locker room were as loud and jubilant as any in Beaver Stadium history, because these loyal, dedicated Penn Staters had competed for something more important than a bowl game or conference title. They had competed for the honor of their team and their university.” Continue reading
Photo by Steve Manuel
Last year’s Senior Day was one of the more memorable games in recent Beaver Stadium history.
That had a to do with the game itself, of course. For anyone who watched, but especially for those of us in the stadium, the overtime win over Wisconsin felt like a just reward for a team that had been through so much and had earned the right to finish on a high. But mostly, it was about the seniors. Continue reading
It was a matchup between traditional powers with huge fan bases and top-20 rankings. And it wasn’t even on live TV. Continue reading
Photo by Steve Manuel
What a day for Matt McGloin.
By now—we assume—everyone knows that McGloin ’12 not only made his NFL debut on Sunday, but did so in exceedingly rare fashion: He started as an undrafted rookie. And he won. Continue reading
We got a nice surprise on Thursday when Matthew Rice ’05 stopped by the Hintz Family Alumni Center. The former Nittany Lion defensive end, a member of the Orange Bowl-winning 2005 team, is back in town this weekend to speak to art students at a local middle school and promote the artwork he creates under the name Mateo Blu.
If you don’t know (or don’t remember) Matthew’s story, Continue reading
Penn State’s 1998 Homecoming weekend was nearly perfect: sunny, unseasonably warm, and victorious on the football field.
The opponent was Purdue, led by a sophomore QB named Drew Brees, Continue reading
The Football Letter Blog 