An annual reminder: We tend to leave recruiting news to the experts, but we’re happy to make an exception when National Signing Day offers up a story with a cool Penn State alumni angle. On Wednesday, Ellis Brooks gave us a good one.
Brooks’ commitment to Penn State was something of a surprise. The four-star linebacker received a scholarship offer less than two weeks ago, took an official visit to Happy Valley five days later, and on Jan. 30 announced for the Nittany Lions. Continue reading
“Last night was my first Penn State game…”
The email hit The Penn Stater magazine inbox the day after the Big Ten title game, sent by a self-described “life-long PSU fan” and former Marine named Eric Norwood:
Last night was my first Penn State game. I took my dad — also a lifelong fan, also his first game… I feel so proud to be somewhat a part of this student body. Living and dying on each play with thousands of Penn State students, fans, and alums was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. I still have goosebumps and can’t stop singing Hey Baby 😂. Thanks everyone for a fantastic season and night!
Bob Warming was beaming.
This was last Saturday, in the final moments of the Nittany Lions’ victory over Michigan State, and Continue reading
We first met Max Hamilton last month in West Lafayette, where she was tailgating with family after the Nittany Lions’ win at Purdue. Max doesn’t miss a Penn State game, home or away, a level of dedication that has everything to do with maternal pride: Her son is standout wide receiver DaeSean.
Max is a former Marine whose dedication Continue reading
The return of Penn State’s series with Pitt is bringing back all sorts of memories for those of us old enough to remember when it was one of the fiercest rivalries in college football. Our Alumni Association colleague Ilene White ’74 dropped by this week with some visual reminders of just how much it mattered.
It was 45 years ago, November 1971, when White and a dozens of other undergrads piled into “70 or 80 cars,” according to Mark Tygel ’71, then-president of Continue reading
Photo via TitansOnline.com
Tim Shaw hasn’t played in the NFL since 2012, but on Tuesday, he officially became a Tennessee Titan for life. Shaw ’06, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 2014 and has become a champion for those who suffer from the disease, signed a one-day contract with the team before immediately getting placed on the squad’s Reserve/Retired list.
The Titans’ roster learned the news on Tuesday night, when Shaw surprised his teammates Continue reading
Nittany Lions of all sorts have brand-new digs in which to continue one of the proudest academic records in the country.
The Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex, once home to Penn State’s club hockey programs, has been transformed into the revamped Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes. The result is an impressive work and study space Continue reading
It’s Alumni Reunion Weekend here in Happy Valley, an annual chance for those of us at the Alumni Association to meet and hear stories from some of our most dedicated alums. Among this year’s returnees is Don Rose ’70, who’s in town from Lancaster with his wife, Sandra ’66.
We talked a bit of football with Don, who then pulled out this photo recently sent to him by his little brother, Steve ’74, ’82g, who would eventually follow Don to State College. That’s the sibling duo back in the fall of 1967, in their stances in front of the south end zone of Beaver Stadium. Don couldn’t remember who took the picture, or how exactly they got on the field, but the scoreboard gives a hint at the date: Sometime in mid-November, not long after the Nittany Lions upset third-ranked North Carolina State.
The stadium looks a bit different now, but for the record, Don’s still got a full head of hair.
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Brooklyn-born and raised, Joe Paterno probably hadn’t seen many cows before he arrived in Happy Valley in 1950. He almost certainly hadn’t had many chances to milk one.
We’re not entirely sure of the origins of this shot*, which our colleague, Marc Kauffman, art director at The Penn Stater magazine, found a few months back during one of his occasional deep digs into the University Library photo archives. Continue reading
More than a decade after graduating, Michael Robinson’s impact at Penn State is still being felt. Given his words and actions, it probably always will be.
The latest example can be seen this Friday night, when Robinson ’04, ’06 returns to campus to host the inaugural Blue-White Benefit at Pegula Ice Arena, which he hopes turns into an annual event. All proceeds will benefit Robinson’s foundation, Excel to Excellence, which focuses on education, character development, and fitness for young people.
The event starts at 5:00 p.m. with a VIP dinner, followed by a cocktail social at 6:30 p.m. You can go online for ticket and sponsorship information, or to make a general donation to the foundation.
As with much of Robinson’s life, Penn State plays a pivotal role in his foundation, Continue reading
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