Penn State Football: Best of the 2000's

With Penn State heading to their 46^th bowl appearance, there have been some great teams to play in a bowl game; the 1994 team that beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl on their way to an undefeated 12-0 record, the 2005 Nittany Lions that played in one of the most memorable BCS games in history defeating Florida State in three overtimes. There have been plenty of great Penn State teams throughout the years, but since I can’t recall all the teams, I’ll focus on the 2000’s. Here’s the list.

5.

2002 (9-4, lost to Auburn in Capital One Bowl): The 2002 Penn State team was led by a Heisman Trophy finalist in running back Larry Johnson, and a lefty gunslinger at quarterback in Zack Mills. The team ended up 9-4 after losing to Auburn in the Capital One Bowl but you watched the team play because of the guy carrying the ball. Johnson would end the season with a Penn State record 2,087 yards, including 327 against Indiana. A defensive line anchored by Michael Haynes and Jimmy Kennedy led the way for the Nittany Lions, Haynes would rack up a Penn State record 15.0 sacks along with 23.0 tackles for loss while being selected Second team All-American. In the 2003 NFL Draft the Nittany Lions had four players selected in Jimmy Kenney (12), Michael Haynes (14), Bryant Johnson (17), Larry Johnson (27).

4. 2012 (8-4, not bowl eligible): This team was different, that’s the best word to describe the 2012 team. It was the first season under the sanctions the NCAA had handed down. Many feel this team could have competed for Big Ten Championships if Bill O’Brien would have been at the helm for the tenure of the team. Matt McGloin was a star under O’Brien’s pro-style offense throwing for a Penn State record 3,271 yards, 24 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. On the receiving end of 1,018 of those 3,271 yards and 11 of the 24 touchdowns was Allen Robinson who had his breakout season under Bill O’Brien. Senior’s Jordan Hill and linebacker Michael Mauti led the way for the defense. It was an emotional end to the season for the team; in the second to last game of the season Mauti tore his ACL and was lost for the year. In the final game of the season against Wisconsin, on Senior Day, the team wore ‘42’ on their helmets. Hill pulled out his best game as a Nittany Lion on Senior Day piling up 12 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, and 2.0 tackles for loss in the team’s 24-21 win.

3. 2009 (11-2, beat LSU in Capital One Bowl): In his final season as Penn State’s quarterback Daryll Clark threw for 3,003 yards, 24 touchdowns, was Co-MVP of the Big Ten, and led his team to a New Year’s Day bowl victory. Coming off a Big Ten Championship season, the Nittany Lions lost a majority of their offense in the receiving trio of Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, and Deon Butler. Replacing them was Derrick Moye, Graham Zug, and tight end Andrew Quarless. A defense that finished 9^th in the country in total defense was led two future NFL All-Pro’s in linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee, both would be named First team All-Big Ten and Second team All-Big Ten respectively.

2. 2008 (11-2 Co-Big Ten Champs, lost to USC in Rose Bowl): In the first season under the ‘Spread-HD offense, and the first season with quarterback Daryll Clark under center, the offense flourished gaining nearly 450 yards of total offense per game. Clark ran for 10 touchdowns and threw for 19 more. Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood led the receiving core as they had since 2005 combining for 1,932 yards and 17 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball was a defense t^th nationally. It was one of the more complete teams in Penn State’s long history and was certainly one of the more exciting teams both offensively and defensively.

hat was stout all season under Tom Bradley. Sophomore sensation Aaron Maybin was an animal coming off the edge, compiling 12.0 sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss. Bradley’s defense held its opponents to 280 yards a game, which ranked them 8

1. 2005 (11-1 Big Ten Champs, beat Florida State in Orange Bowl): Where to begin with this team, simply put this was the team of the 2000’s for Penn State. It was the team that turned things around for the Blue & White and it all started when Derrick Williams announced his commitment to Joe Paterno. On offense Michael Robinson, who played seemingly every position on offense and special teams before finally landing at the teams starting quarterback was the leader on offense. Behind him was a bruising running back in Tony Hunt. Up front was the big fella outside Levi Brown. Catching passes from Robinson was perhaps the best group of receivers Joe Paterno ever had, along with Derrick Williams was Deon Butler a

nd State College native Jordan Norwood. On defense there were very few players in college football during the 2000’s that were more recognizable than linebacker Paul Posluszny. Poz embodied what it meant to be a linebacker at Penn State; he was a consensus two-time All-American, a two-time Chuck Bednarik Award winner, and a Butkus Award winner along with being named First team Academic All-American twice. Oh, I forgot about Tamba Hali. Also named an All-American in 2005, Hali had 11.0 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss including an astonishing 4.0 sack and 5.0 tackles for loss game against Wisconsin. The season culminated in South Florida in what would be one of the greatest games in the BCS era for many reasons. Penn State got the better of Florida State in triple overtime to cap off an 11-1 season.

Concussions: The Struggle Is Real

The hardest part of my day is waking up because when I wake it feels like there is a box of goddamn firework’s going off next to my head. Throughout the day there are moments when I have to stop what I’m doing, close my eyes, and wait for the jolt of pain to stop going through my head. I’ve had migraines so bad I’ve been brought to tears. I haven’t had a day without a headache in 5 years. I didn’t play football in college, hell I barely played in high school, but over the course of ten years I took some shots to head. I’ve been tested for CTE, which is what killed Frank Gifford recently among many other former NFL players, but show no signs of it. Knowing the answer to this questions I asked it anyway, I asked my neurologist if my headaches would ever go away, he shook his head and said no.  I came away from that appointment knowing what I already knew and what I had already come to grips with, my brain is permanently damaged and it’s what I have to live with. I take responsibility for the lack of care I showed my brain over the years by not telling someone I had a headache or by not seeing a doctor when I should have, but I’m fine with it. That’s what I deal with.

I’ve had this discussion with many, many people over the years and it’s something I will continue to think about and ask myself until the day this question becomes reality, will I let my child play football? The answer is no, and I’ve been emphatic about that answer. Would I love to see my son or daughter play football? Absolutely. Outside of my family football is my biggest passion in life and has played a significant role since day one and it always will, but as someone who knows what concussions can do to your everyday life the guilt I would feel if my child went down the same path would be unimaginable.

It shouldn’t take the production of a movie or the death of a player for us to dive into the problems that are concussions. Yet here we are, day in and day out talking about NFL players going through “concussion protocol” before they’re cleared to come back to play. Most of the time it’s about a week or two before a player is “cleared” to play again, and trust me when I say this, that’s not nearly long enough.

I had my first concussion in 4^th grade when I played for Our Lady of Victory (shout out to my OLV people), and when I was done with high school I had racked up double-digit concussions. It wasn’t until I got deep into high school football where they started to become a problem for me. My parents didn’t know then what parents know now about concussions, and that’s not their fault. We weren’t educated on them, no one really was and they still aren’t.

Much like every other kid who played football I dreamed about playing in the NFL, clearly that wasn’t in the cards, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the game just as much as someone who plays it. I do, however, know someone who plays the game at the highest level and as much as I love to watch him play it sometimes scares the hell out of me. Is that an overreaction? Probably, but that’s just me.

I hear it all the time when people are talking about concussions, they argue that you should allow your child to play football, or any contact sport, and if they happen to get a concussion to take them out of the sport. I refuse to listen to those people. I refuse to listen because it only takes one.

I love football, a lot, but I’m going to love my child that much more.