Penn State Football

The Penn State Football Button Book celebrates the coaching legacy of Joe Paterno and the glorious history of Nittany Lion football during the Paterno era. It does so, however, in a style unlike any other football book ever written -- through the use of the complete collection of "game day" booster buttons produced by Citizens Bank (and its predecessor bank sponsors) to commemorate each Penn State football game played over the past 32 years. The Penn State Football Button Book evokes exciting memories of the Paterno era using button images and unique and fun commentary rather than traditional game summaries. Book jacket.

Rappoport puts readers on the 50-yard line and takes them behind the scenes in this entertaining look at the storied Penn State football program.

Football is an unmistakable part of the culture of Penn State, though the experience of a Nittany Lions home game—from the crowds and tailgates to the spectacle of the game itself—has changed significantly over the years. This richly illustrated and researched book tells the story of the structure that has evolved along with the university’s celebrated football program: the iconic Beaver Stadium. Historian Lee Stout and engineering professor Harry H. West show how Beaver Stadium came to be, including a look at its predecessors, “Old” Beaver Field, built in 1893 on a site centrally located northeast of Old Main, and “New” Beaver Field, built on the northwest corner of campus in 1909. Stout and West explore the engineering and construction challenges of the stadium and athletic fields and reveal the importance of these facilities to the history of Penn State and its cherished traditions. Packed with archival photos and fascinating stories, Lair of the Lion is a celebration of the ways in which Penn State fans, students, and athletes have experienced home games from the 1880s to the present day, and of the monumental structure that the Lions now call home.

The 1987 NCAA championship football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the University of Miami Hurricanes is often considered the most memorable championship game in all of college football history. Both teams were undefeated going into the game, but the Hurricanes were heavily favored, as they had demolished each of their opponents during the regular season. Penn State pulled off of the most surprising upsets on January 2, 1987, by handing the University of Miami team its only loss of the season. The Perfect Season, with help from the Penn State players involved, Missanelli retells the story not just of this championship game but also of Penn States entire season. Beginning with its Orange Bowl loss in 1985, Missanelli recounts the glorious 1986 season through the eyes of those Penn State athletes. The book also focuses on the medias buildup of the national championship, explaining why the University of Miami team was considered the villain in this battle.

From an AP sports writer and author, a history of Pennsylvania State University’s Nittany Lions, with personal stories from coaches and players. In Tales from Penn State Football, Ken Rappoport puts you on the fifty-yard line and sometimes gets you a seat on the bench or a stall in the locker room. From the first team in the 1880s to the celebrated Joe Paterno teams of the 20th century, Penn State’s most entertaining—and legendary—football stories are chronicled here. And there is plenty to tell, considering the history of the Penn State football program. Penn State football started in 1881. These early pioneers could hardly envision the future popularity of the game, where crowds of more than 100,000 would fill Beaver Stadium to see Paterno’s nationally ranked powers play in the second-largest football stadium in America. In between, there have been plenty of colorful stories and characters at Penn State to fill a book. There was a coach who held up a Rose Bowl game over a violent argument and another who credited a mule for his success. Also, a player who impersonated the legendary Jim Thorpe and another nicknamed “Riverboat Richie” for his gambling instincts on the football field. For many of the stories in this book, Rappoport went right to the source. In an earlier interview at the Nittany Lion Inn, Joe Paterno talked about his famous “Grand Experiment.” At about the same time, Rip Engle discussed his most treasured moments at Penn State. Football aficionados will relish every tale. The perfect gift for college football buffs and Penn State fans.

From New York Times bestselling author and Michigan football expert John Back, an analysis of the state of college football: Why we love the game, what is at risk, and the fight to save it. In search of the sport’s old ideals amid the roaring flood of hypocrisy and greed, bestselling author John U. Bacon embedded himself in four college football programs—Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Northwestern—and captured the oldest, biggest, most storied league, the Big Ten, at its tipping point. He sat in as coaches dissected game film, he ate dinner at training tables, and he listened in locker rooms. He talked with tailgating fans and college presidents, and he spent months in the company of the gifted young athletes who play the game. Fourth and Long reveals intimate scenes behind closed doors, from a team’s angry face-off with their athletic director to a defensive lineman acing his master’s exams in theoretical math. It captures the private moment when coach Urban Meyer earned the devotion of Ohio State’s Buckeyes on their way to a perfect season. It shows Michigan’s athletic department endangering the very traditions that distinguish the college game from all others. And it re-creates the euphoria of the Northwestern Wildcats winning their first bowl game in decades. Most unforgettably, Fourth and Long finds what the national media missed in the ugly aftermath of Penn State’s tragic scandal: the unheralded story of players who joined forces with Coach Bill O’Brien to save the university’s treasured program—and with it, a piece of the game’s soul. This is the work of a writer in love with an old game—a game he sees at the precipice. Bacon’s deep knowledge of sports history and his sensitivity to the tribal subcultures of the college game power this elegy to a beloved and endangered American institution.

Perfect for Penn State fans who think they already know everything With traditions, records, and Nittany Lions lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Penn State fan should know. It contains crucial information such as important dates, player nicknames, memorable moments, and outstanding achievements by singular players. From trivia on legendary players—such as John Cappelletti, Kerry Collins, Larry Johnson, LaVar Arrington, and Paul Posluszny—to knowing the best places to catch a game, 100 Things Penn State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans of the Nittany Lions.