Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/99533
worked without ceasing. Some of those people are familiar to all; others will never see their names in print or be profiled on television. All worked harder than they've ever worked in their lives. The debt of gratitude that Penn State owes to O'Brien is, in many ways, unparalleled. His dedication to moving an entire university forward, along with a football program that was severely hampered by the NCAA's sanctions, has been on constant display. From the barrage of media appearances – he's clearly uncomfortable with them, but has improved dramatically – to the late nights at the Lasch Building, this has surely been the most grueling year of O'Brien's professional life. It doesn't end with him, though. His assistants, the support staff, and all of the players deserve immense praise. On the night of the team banquet, they got it. Mauti and teammates Shane McGregor, Emery Etter, Mike Farrell, Matt Stankiewitch, Gerald Hodges, Stephon Morris, Michael Zordich, Jordan Hill, Sean Stanley and Matt McGloin all received individual awards for their efforts. There are other worthy people, of course, all of whom have personal stories of extra work and dedication that many of us will never learn. When reflecting on the Nittany Lions' big weekend – a weekend that included verbal commitments from Zayd Issah, Jonathan Walton, DaeSean Hamilton and Anthony Smith and also featured the bestowing of national and local awards – it's important to remember that none of this happened by accident or was merely a stroke of luck. It's also important to remember that the job isn't finished. The banquet might have had a valedictory feel, but it would be better to think of the Nittany Lions' recent achievements as mile markers on a course that is far from complete, a course that will continue to demand the same level of commitment and dedication that this football program has shown throughout the past 12 months. THE MONTH IN... BLOGS [P.J.] Byers eventually was able to achieve his dream of becoming a Penn State Nittany Lion, earning a spot as a walkon as a reserve fullback for the 2010-12 seasons. Byers became one of the leaders in the locker room thanks to his work ethic and incredible life experiences. He was able to do something that so many of us can only dream about – lead the team out of the Beaver Stadium tunnel to the roar of 100,000 fans. Thank you for your service to our team, P.J. More importantly, thank you for your service for our country. JARED SLANINA BLACK SHOE DIARIES OPINIONS He turned a walk-on QB named Matt McGloin into the surprise star of the season. He watched his best player, RB Silas Redd, flee to USC, then won one more game than Redd did. He stuck by his green kicker, Sam Ficken, who had blown the Virginia game, then watched Ficken pipe the overtime winner over Wisconsin on Saturday. It was the Nittany Lions' eighth win in the final 10 games. All this with a team The New York Times said in July wouldn't be competitive again for a decade. Urban Meyer [for coach of the year]? Please. Urban Meyer didn't walk into the last day of Saigon. O'Brien did. This man did more rebuilding in one year than Gen. George Marshall. RICK REILLY ESPN.COM It's easy now to praise the O'Brien hiring after what we've seen from him the past 11 months and during PSU's surprising 8-4 season, but let's not forget that [acting athletic director Dave] Joyner put his neck on the line by selecting a virtual unknown. CORY GIGER ALTOONA MIRROR Does the Baltimore-Washington market care enough about Maryland football to make this worthwhile for the conference? The same question exists with Rutgers in New York City. For Penn State, the additions would eliminate its geographic isolation and give fans a chance to attend an away conference game without too long of a drive. Football recruiting might become tougher because Penn State offers Maryland and New Jersey prospects a chance to play on some of the sport's biggest stages. Maryland and Rutgers will begin selling the same thing. GUY CIPRIANO CENTRE DAILY TIMES QUOTES It's all about winning, it's all about what you've done lately. The landscape is ridiculously fickle right now, and it's all going to depend on how they do next season. However, there's not a game to be played between now and next September. And recruiting, as we know, is 50 to 75 percent done in the spring and the summer. So he's got a lot of momentum going for him right now, and I think he'll do very well. MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM ANALYST, ON BILL O'BRIEN'S RECENT RECRUITING SUCCESS