If you have never been to State College, the first thing that strikes you about campus is the scenery. After traveling through miles of farm country in any direction, visitors arrive to an oasis of sorts. Most of the buildings are beautiful stone or brick. The trees in the fall are truly something to behold. The Lion Shrine sits prominently along Curtin Road protecting campus. It is just a combination of architectural charm and Pennsylvania landscaping beauty.
My college experience was similar to most people’s here. I received a great education while making lifelong friends, attending a party here or there, and of course making my way over to Beaver Stadium for every home game. Like many prominent universities, football Saturdays were and are a staple for Happy Valley. Tailgating, white outs, and one of the most iconic figures to ever inhabit the sidelines outlined my experience. I stood in the stands with my fellow students chanting "Joe Pa-ter-no!" during some years of abysmal records as well as some good ones... just a typical Saturday in State College.
After receiving our degrees, my wife and I decided that State College would become our permanent home. It is an easy area to fall in love with after all, and after working elsewhere for a few years, I returned to campus where I continue to work today. Everything went smoothly until the fall of 2011. That's when campus changed forever, and without being here during that time, it would be hard for anyone to understand.
It all happened so quickly. For a town that is normally very quiet, news trucks circulated the streets for days. It was difficult to piece everything together with how quickly news and rumors came out. Emotions swirled... sadness, anger, regret, disbelief and everything in between. Once a program with a squeaky clean imagine, it all came crashing down. An icon in the collegiate world came crashing down. A statue built for a man that dedicated his life to the football program and campus he loved came crashing down. Yet, at the end of the day, none of that really mattered. At the heart of everything, unspeakable crimes to children occurred. That was and still is the most important part.
After considering a 4 year death penalty, the NCAA decided to allow football with the application of crushing sanctions. In the face of uncertainty for the program and for the campus, a scramble for leadership occurred, and a man with a mixture of boldness and compassion emerged. Bill O'Brien stepped into an ominous position and took the reins of a football program that was on life support. Following a legend like Joe Paterno would have been difficult anyway, but following him after what occurred over that four month stretch is almost unimaginable
Bill O'Brien provided exactly what we needed the past two years... stability. When things looked bleak, he was the man that righted our collective ship. In terms of the actual product on the field, PSU football was fun to watch. Have we ever before had a high-octane "Nascar" offense? No. He went 15-9 under some horrendous conditions. He also provided a lot of positive press for the team and program. Can you recall Penn State Football ever receiving an hour long all-access special on ESPN? The answer is no, but O'Brien managed to get us one. He also brought in some of the nation's finest recruits. Christian Hackenberg was possibly the best quarterback recruit in the country, and he chose the sanction-riddled Penn State Nittany Lions over the powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide. Sure, it is a testament to Hackenberg and his fellow recruits, but it is also a testament to Bill O'Brien
I will never harbor any resentment to O'Brien. He was one of the few men, if not the only man, that was willing to come to Penn State in its darkest hour. In a perfect world, would O'Brien have stayed longer? Sure. I wish he would have stayed for quite a few years, but the truth is that he does not owe Penn State or its fans anything. If you are one of the people who say, "Why doesn't he just wait two years and then accept an NFL coaching position?", NFL coaching is a flavor of the month business. There is no guarantee that Bill O'Brien would be a sought after name in 2015. His stock may never be higher than it is right now, and people cannot fault him taking the chance to do what he always said he wanted to do.
Before I conclude, I must address a widely accepted perception of the Nittany Lion fan base --the notion that we are all 'Joe Paterno Truthers' who are involved in a 'cult'. Paterno's legacy will forever be marred by what was ultimately the final act of his long life and career. We will never truly know everything that happened, but we know at least what he told us before he passed: "In hindsight, I wish I would have done more." That is regret... that is a feeling of remorse, and that is why it scars everything else he did here. It also, however, should not immediately dismiss all of the good he did during his life, and that is usually what people struggle to come to terms with... figuring out a balance for 40+ years or service, dedication, and giving back, and a terrible scandal. As for the cult terminology, the truth is that Penn State fans are no different than any other large football program in the country. Are there some "crazies"? Sure, but they are the minority and we are not unique to this. Maybe people will recall the Auburn/Alabama game this year where individuals were stabbed, or the Alabama fan who poisoned oak trees on Auburn's campus a couple of years ago? How about the 44-year-old man who stabbed another fan when a large fight broke out prior to a USC/UCLA game? If there is a cult in college football, it is a cult based on people taking sports too seriously. Something not unique to State College, but a problem that plagues our society in general.
Some members of the media have asked Penn State fans to speak up against the vocal minority of our fan base. That is not what my story is about, but it is a little peek into an opinion different than many of the articles being circulated. It is also a story that many of my fellow Penn Staters would probably relay as well. We are... proud of our sports teams. We are... proud of our students, faculty, and staff. We are... proud of our world-class education and facilities. We are... just like any of you. The only difference is that we are -- and always will be -- Penn State.
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