Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/94528
coaches to pay attention to him, and as he sat in the family car with his mother, Beth, a feeling of hopelessness swept over him like a gathering snow- drift. He'd received some interest from schools in football's lower divisions, but he didn't want that. Beth asked him what he did want. He began to cry. "It's a pretty emotional time when you're staring the death of your dream right in the face," McGregor recalled. "I was pretty much doing that. My mom is pretty reserved, a peaceful woman. But she steps out and says, 'Shane, we're going to take your high- light tape and we're going to send it to everyone you want. And if we get nothing back, we're going to send it again. And if we get nothing there, we're going to call. We're going to keep doing something until something hap- pens.' " Eventually, something did happen. Penn State showed interest, and soon McGregor found himself visiting the school, talking to the coaching staff and checking out the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. The Nit- tany Lions weren't offering a scholar- ship, but they were willing to bring him aboard as an invited walk-on. Which was all wanted. A shot at his dreams. Said McGregor, "I knew that I couldn't turn down this offer." McGregor tells the story of his re- cruitment with a writerly flair that one doesn't often hear in the Beaver Stadium media room, artfully juxta- posing narrative drive with bits of il- luminating detail. He's got a knack for storytelling. Maybe that's because the senior is a writer himself, a student in the School of Communications. During the past year, he's been on both sides of the press box glass. Only days after Penn State wrapped up its 2011 season in the TicketCity Bowl, he was in New Orleans covering the BCS Champi- onship Game between Alabama and LSU. It helps, too, that his story has a special resonance this year, for this particular senior class. McGregor's name might not be the first one you think of when you look back on the class that was set to say its goodbyes GRAND FINALE In his only season in O'Brien's offense, McGloin set Penn State records for most comple- tions and most passing yards in a season. Saturday against Wisconsin. You think of star players like Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich and Matt McGloin. And why wouldn't you? They were at the center of everything Penn State accomplished this past season. But one of the strengths of this class is that many of its members possessed the same bring-it-on mentality, walk- ons and scholarship players alike. This was a class that wasn't willing to back down from a challenge, and it didn't matter what form that challenge took. Career-threatening injuries? Been there. Unprecedented NCAA sanctions? Done that. Coaching changes? Position switches? Enticements to transfer? Yes, yes and yes. And that list doesn't even take into account the on-field challenges this class faced courtesy of Alabama and LSU and the usual as- sortment of Big Ten bullies. The Nittany Lion seniors didn't always prevail – their five-year record of 45-18 heading into their final game was modest in comparison to that of past eras – but it's unlikely that this class will be re- membered solely for its winning per- centage. It will be remembered for its heart. "This is a team that has been through unprecedented situations," coach Bill O'Brien said recently. "This is a football team led by a senior class that has