Blue White Illustrated

T H E M O N T H I N . . . Even those who never met him felt like they knew him, and because of the man he was, how he gave of himself and his time to meet and greet and the matter in which he made everybody feel special, Fran Fisher leaves a legacy like no other. As Louise Tarman said, "Fran certainly loved Penn State." And it, like all of us, loved him back. NEIL RUDEL ALTOONA MIRROR Maybe you've found yourself saying of someone well-known, "Boy, wouldn't you love to have a beer with that guy?" Well, I did with Fran. So did many others. And we can all tell you, you would not have been disappointed. It was the hour or two I looked most forward to during a Penn State football season, that moment after knowing we'd survived another 12 rounds with the club fighter known as the U.S. airline system, rented the car and managed to find the team hotel – and then spied broadcast partners Fran and George Paterno in the hotel bar. A lot of times, I couldn't resist walking right in and plunking down my suitcase without even taking five minutes to take it upstairs. That would've been five minutes I would not be laughing. And that's what you did every time you were around Fran. You laughed. At some crazy tale you knew was true. At some self-deprecating refer- ence. At some retort to George who was always telling fish stories of some sort. You just pulled up a chair, leaned back, lifted that first delicious cold one, lis- tened and prepared to be entertained. Within minutes, you felt younger just be- ing around him. DAVID JONES PENNLIVE.COM Often, Fran would purse his thin lips a bit and look you in the eye. It was his way of telling you that this was going to be serious, not a self-depreciating wisecrack or a patented rhetorical question. In essence, this is what he had to say about the two guys who followed a guy named Joe: O'Brien and Franklin are different in many ways, but simpatico in one major and genuine behavior that mattered most to Fran Fisher: They respected Penn State's past, loved its cur- rent football players and honestly cared about its future. Not so coincidentally, so did Fran. MIKE POORMAN STATECOLLEGE.COM After I hit the tree, it did not feel great. I didn't hurt myself, but obviously it doesn't feel that safe. It wasn't the smartest thing to do. But it happened. ANTHONY ZETTEL on the now-famous Instagram video in which he tackles a tree It's not something you feel great about as a coach, watching your All-American D-tackle throw his shoulder into a tree. JAMES FRANKLIN Fran was truly an iconic figure, not only for the football program, but for Penn State University as a whole. Even after he stepped away from the broadcast booth, he was still a fixture at preseason camp and practice. I remember, long after his retirement, he and I would reminisce about all of the players from my era. Fran will be forever connected with Penn State and Penn State football. He will truly be missed by all of us in the Penn State community. JACK HAM O P I N I O N S Q U O T E S WHITE OUT ANNOUNCED Deter- mined by a fan vote, this year's White Out game will be the Nittany Lions' Nov. 21 meeting with visiting Michigan. The game will also serve as the team's Senior Day. This will be the third time Penn State has hosted Michigan in a full-stadium White Out game. Kickoff time for the game has not yet been an- nounced. The Penn State dorms will re- main open through 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, which will allow students to attend the game before leaving for Thanksgiving break. SPRING GAME SCHEDULED The 2016 Blue-White Game will take place on April 16 in Beaver Stadium, the uni- versity recently announced. The in- trasquad scrimmage is tentatively scheduled to kick off in the early to mid-afternoon. LIONS ARE NFL-BOUND In addition to the three Penn State players who were drafted this spring – offensive tackle Donovan Smith in the second round by Tampa Bay, safety Adrian Amos in the fifth round by Chicago and tight end Jesse James in the fifth round by Pittsburgh – three Nittany Lions have signed free-agent contracts. They are: defensive end Deion Barnes (New York Jets) offensive guard Miles Dief- fenbach (Pittsburgh) and linebacker Mike Hull (Miami). In addition, tailback Bill Belton and defensive end Brad Bars were given rookie tryouts by the Jets and Giants, respectively. DAVIS DISMISSED Senior defensive back Da'Quan Davis is no longer a member of Penn State's football team due to a violation of team rules, the university announced May 22. In a prepared statement, James Franklin said, "We appreciate Da'Quan's con- tributions to the program and wish him success in the future." On May 9, Penn State police charged Davis with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and underage drinking. His preliminary hearing is set for June 24. ■ N O T E W O R T H Y

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