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dealing with the emotional aftershocks of having lost several of its best players. That list includes the offensive and de- fensive MVPs of the Cotton Bowl, with Brown having been forced to give up football and linebacker Micah Parsons opting out in August to prepare for the NFL. "I think sometimes when you hear players talk about distractions and they don't get into the details, these are some of the things that have been happening behind the scenes," he said. "Obviously, then Noah goes down on the first drive. There have just been a lot of things these guys have been managing and working through. The [players] have been great, the staff has been great. I know how our fan base is, I know how passionate our fan base is, I know after losses how passion- ate they can be, but I also know how they rally around situations like this. And [Brown] is going to need it. It's not just short term, it's long term. We're going to have to continue to support him not just for the next few days." The staff has worked to keep Brown in- volved with the team. He travels to road games and is helping out the coaching staff any way he can, possibly with an eye toward getting into coaching himself. Seider has been careful not to push him too hard down that career path; he's more focused on helping ensure that Brown leaves Penn State with his degree. But no matter what the future holds, whether it's coaching or some other profession, Brown said in announcing his retirement that he's never going to leave football en- tirely behind. "The pain of not being able to play the game I love anymore hurts, and I can't ex- plain how I am feeling right now," he said. "However, I can walk away from the game knowing I truly gave my all at every prac- tice, on every down and in the locker room every day. You never know when you will play your last snap, but I know I left it all out there and have no regrets, other than wishing I could step on the field one final time. I won't miss the game of football, because it will always be a part of me." ■ !"$"# No. 76 in Lou Prato's book % & Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Price: $16.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable Also available with autograph: Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Price: $19.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable

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