Blue White Illustrated

services and OPP in setting up and tearing down, janitorial and maintenance. Bobby does most of the selling, but I'm there to help whatever he needs." It's not bankers' hours, for there are night and weekend events to handle, but it's a walk in the Vermont woods compared to the time-consuming football pressure cooker. White is thrilled to have Spider as his assistant. "Bringing in Spider was a god- send," he said. "I've needed help for years with the increase in all the events, and we had some good candidates. Spider was a perfect 4t. He's part of the 4ber of this place and a household name. I had to do very little training because he already knew the people and the stadium. He hit the ground running, and it has been great." There's mutual respect that goes beyond their working together. They've known each other since White was a redshirt freshman in 1983, and their relationship has gone from player-student manager through assistant coach-equipment man- ager to the new one. Spider's o7ce inside the Lettermen's Lounge of Beaver Stadium is just a few steps away from White's, and from their doorways they can both see Mount Nittany through the windows that overlook the players' tunnel. Spider admits he will miss being around the players and the equipment room, es- pecially on game day when he won't be on the sideline. "I'm going to miss the day-to-day contact with the players," he said. "We have no children, and those guys were like my kids. That was special. I'm also going to miss being hands-on, 4xing the helmets and shoulder pads and working on the shoes. I really loved that." Spider has a good relationship with his successor, Jay Takach, and that could lead to some occasional visits to the Lasch Building equipment room for consulting and hands-on assistance. His wife is will- ing to help, too. Karen, who is planning to retire soon from her teaching career, did a lot of the seamstress work on uni- forms during Spider's tenure as head equipment manager. That wasn't known outside of Lasch until Spider told everyone that she sewed the names on all the jerseys when Penn State broke tradition in 2012 by putting names on the uniforms for the 4rst time. Although he no longer has the stress that led to his heart attack, Spider knows he still has a long way to go to regain his health. "I'm feeling good and they said my heart wasn't damaged," he said, "but I don't have the cardio stamina I used to have. It would have been tough to do the football stu6 the way I used to do it, on the 4eld and 4xing stu6. I would be run- ning. Now, I even get a little winded walk- ing across the parking lot. I can build that back up, but it's something I need to work on, and I need to lose a little more weight in that regard. Plus, I still have that problem with my peripheral vision." Spider's popularity with the fans can only be enhanced in his new job because he will be meeting more and more of them. An incident in late March epitomizes the respect the fans have for him. When the new Ride the Blue Buses Tour sponsored by the All- Sports Museum stopped at the Lasch Build- ing, the participants unexpectedly encoun- tered Franklin. When the tour returned to the stadium, Spider surprised the group by greeting them in the locker room. Mu- seum director Ken Hickman said tour par- ticipants were more excited meeting Spider than talking to the coach. Spider understands his unique status with the fans, many of whom view him as the last tie to the Paterno era. "It is humbling and shocking but it's also an honor," he said. "A8er Joe was let go and everything happened, we didn't know what was going to happen. When Coach O'Brien came in, we were told we're being evaluated for six months and I was looking at di6erent opportunities. And Sue Paterno came up to me almost in tears and said, 'Please don't leave. We need everybody there that has been part of the legacy. You can help carry on the legacy. Please don't leave.' I was 5oored and I still get emotional talking about it. "Joe was not just a boss or the head coach to me, but he became a father and grand- father 4gure. He molded me into what I am today. His philosophies and his ideals I cherish. And I see so many players who feel the same way and how proud he would be. How can we not carry that on?" ■ The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions A diary by Lou Prato, author of the Penn State Football Encyclopedia and four other Nittany Lion books Personalized autographed copy available through Lou Prato and Associates Call 814-692-7577 or email louprato@comcast.net Price: $19.95 plus tax and shipping

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