Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/575323
Penn State teams in that time period had their share of mean, tough guys, none more popular than Leroy "Henny" Scholl, a 6-foot, 193-pound defensive lineman from Williamsport, Pa., who played six years (1896-1901) when eligi- bility rules were almost nonexistent. Henny always had a scowl on his face and if that and his fists weren't enough to intimidate opponents, he would often use the blackjack he hid under his cloth- ing. He is also a historic figure in Penn State football, credited in 1897 with us- ing the first "helmet," an old derby hat with the brim cut off and padding in- side. Returning to the modern-day players, All-America linebackers LaVar Arring- ton (1997-99) and Michael Mauti (2008, 2011-12) could be on some meanness lists but their meanness in my definition was sporadic and different. Mauti was more like Wisniewski, except he was a little more outspoken, which helped make him the consummate leader of the beleaguered 2012 team burdened by the NCAA sanctions. Arrington was often a pain in the butt to his coaches and his teammates but he rarely displayed his meanness against opponents. When he did, it usually was- n't good for the team. One such instance was against Pitt in 1999 when he re- ceived double personal foul penalties af- ter his overexuberance in blocking Pitt's diminutive punter moments after a first-quarter punt, at one point pushing him into the ground and grappling with another Panthers player who came to his teammate's defense. Television cameras showed a dis- pleased Paterno on the sideline but there was no repeat of the shaking of Bauer. Times had changed and one cannot be certain the outgoing Arrington would have stood there silently as Bauer had. Then, with about three minutes left in the game, Arrington redeemed himself by blocking a Pitt field goal that could have tied the score. Parlavecchio was elated, of course. One can easily envision defensive An- thony Zettel being in the meanness group, but it just doesn't seem to be his nature. He's like so many other out- standing Penn State linemen on the field: aggressive, passionate and hard- hitting. But being nasty even in hand- to-hand combat isn't his style. Surely, someday meanness will return to the Penn State football team. For the better, not for the worse. ■