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closeBLUE-WHITE GAME Lions return to the den
Players sign souvenirs for fans ahead of annual Penn State scrimmage
By Ed Mahon
UNIVERSITY PARK — Brian Elko stood behind the north goal post with his 8-and 10-year-old sons. The trio waited for the football players to emerge and wondered which ones would come to their spot.
CDT photo/Craig Houtz
Nittany Lion quarterback Daryll Clark signs autographs before the Blue-White game on Saturday.
“It’s almost as exciting as the game,” Elko said a few hours before Penn State’s Blue-White game kicked off on Saturday.
The 1985 Penn State graduate who now lives near Scranton started bringing his kids to the annual spring scrimmage when they were toddlers. In the years since, Evan, 8, and Michael, 10, have picked up a few tricks for scoring signatures.
Scout your location. If you see a large group waiting for a player, pass and come back later. And try to look as cute as possible, maybe even a little sad.
Last year, they picked up linebacker Sean Lee’s autograph, and this year their target was set squarely on quarterback Daryll Clark.
Aside from a signature scoring opportunity, the Elkos view the scrimmage as a family tradition and a chance to get an idea of how the Nittany Lions are going to stack up in the fall.
“We just like seeing how the team’s gonna play for the season,” said Michael.
The Beaver Stadium gates opened at noon on Saturday, with the autograph session scheduled to start
about 30 minutes later.
By 12:15, the three Elkos, all clad in blue, white or gray, were set up on their spot. They said quarterbacks usually head to the north end zone. Elko’s wife, Nancy, and 5-year-old son, Zachary, waited in the stands.
“He’ll be coming down in a couple years,” Brian said of Zachary, joking that he has had an important task the past few games. “He saves our seats for us.”
Evan, holding a football and permanent marker, tucked his camouflage blue Penn State hat below his eyes to block out the glare from the sun. Michael used a game program for the same task.
At 34 minutes after noon, Evan asked his dad where the players were. A few minutes later, they trickled onto the field.
Evan Royster headed in their direction, prompting Michael to wave his hands and call the running back’s name several times. No luck, though. Royster veered right, toward a corner.
Then Clark emerged, and as he jogged, he appeared to point directly at the Elko boys.
Clark veered to the right, too, but not as far as Royster. He stood maybe 10 people away from the Elkos on the other side of the metal rail.
Dad snapped pictures, and the boys held their ground. Clark signed autographs for several minutes, then slid closer to the Elkos. He was now about five people away.
Whereas five minutes before there had been no one directly behind the Elkos, now there were a half dozen fans — with more to the left and to the right. Footballs, shirts and programs stuck out of the crowd.
Several more minutes went by, another slide, and Clark stood about three people to the right of the Elkos. Close enough.
The Elkos emerged from the scrum. Evan’s hat had fallen off, but his father rescued it.
They briefly reflected on their bounty.
“That’s for the showcase, right there,” Brian Elko said, holding the football with Clark’s autograph. “We told him to sign it big, because it’s going right on top of (Evan’s) mantel in his room.”
They then discussed their next target.
“Where’s Royster?” Evan asked.
Brian Elko pointed to where the running back had been standing a few minutes prior, then said they could give it a try.
“That’ll be like a home run if we get that,” said Brian.
In less than five minutes, they had that signature. The trio then moved on, seeking a few more players, a few more names to appear on that mantel.
Ed Mahon can be reached at 231-4619.
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