News-Education-Penn State-Penn State Memories

Take a moment to recognize the 10 letterman representing the 1947 Penn State football team to be honored at today's homecoming game. Their achievements are among the most accomplished of Nittany Lion teams.

“We’re half way there.” Shorter than a twitter, but enough lyrics to fire the hopes of all Nittany Lion fans now and back through the ages.

I hung up the phone stunned. I had just asked the Rev. Charles MacEachern (Charlie) to officiate at our wedding. He was the retired pastor of my family church in Massachusetts, a friend. The year was 1987.

I was fortunate to be around Penn State football when the Nittany Lions won and competed for national championships and rallied for miraculous victories.

I'm not exactly sure when it was, but at some point last season it hit me: The 2008 campaign was my 25th around the Penn State football program. Along with a flood of memories of the great people I had encountered and the many places it has taken me, was a sense of amazement at how many hats I have worn in those 25 years.

Poland in the fall of 1980 was enthralled with Solidarnosc, the popular insurgency launched in the shipyards of Gdansk against decades-long communist rule. Poles also had an eye on the U.S. presidential elections, welcoming a Ronald Reagan victory as putting an anti-communist ally in the White House. American football was not on many minds.