Posts filed under ‘Penn State football’
Mr. O’Brien Goes to Washington
He signed 21 autographs. He posed for 68 photos. He shook 101 hands.
That was the tally—part of it, anyway—for Bill O’Brien Tuesday night in Washington D.C., on the fourth stop of the Penn State Coaches Caravan. For about 40 minutes—from the time he entered the ballroom at the Washington Hilton until the time he excused himself to make his way up to the stage—I watched O’Brien stand at the front an impromptu receiving line and greet Penn State alumni and fans. For those 40 minutes, I tracked every interaction O’Brien had.
Washington seemed the right place to document the most campaign-like aspect of the caravan, and O’Brien’s role in it. I joked before I stepped onto the bus Monday morning that I felt a bit like a reporter embedding with a presidential candidate; seeing O’Brien address the handshake line for the fourth time in two days—knowing how many more hands he’ll shake, pictures he’ll take, and autographs he’ll sign in the coming days and weeks—only reinforced the analogy. (more…)
The Bill & Patrick Show
I’m back on the bus now between Baltimore and Washington, en route from the third to the fourth stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan. As has been the case for every leg of our trip so far, Bill O’Brien and Patrick Chambers are posted up in the back of the bus, each habitually working their phones. They’ve been on those phones quite a bit over the past day and a half, but they’ve also spent a lot of time trading stories and banter. Watching and listening to them interact has been a blast.
Anyone who’s paid attention to Chambers since his arrival 11 months ago knows what the Nittany Lion basketball coach is all about: energy, intensity, and passion. O’Brien’s public personality isn’t quite as obvious; he’s intense, certainly, but not the non-stop salesman that Chambers (literally, a salesman before he was a coach) has shown himself to be. But these guys have enough obviously in common that it wasn’t hard to guess they’d get along.
Do they ever.
What I’ve been fortunate to see on the bus, alumni and fans have gotten a taste of at the three caravan stops so far. O’Brien and Chambers play off each other perfectly, riffing on each other’s roots in provincial East Coast sports towns (greater Boston for O’Brien, the Philly burbs for Chambers), their similar no-nonsense haircuts, and their insistence on being not just colleagues but teammates at Penn State.
That last part is worth talking more about. These men are similar in age (O’Brien is 42, Chambers 41) and experience. Both have young children. Most important, both have been on campus less than a year. As the football coach at Penn State, O’Brien will always be the focus of greater public attention, but in all the ways that matter to these guys, they genuinely seem to see each other as equals, and men who can contribute to each other’s success.
On the stage Tuesday in Baltimore, O’Brien joked about bringing the football team to watch basketball games next season “whether they like it or not” and opening up the revamped Nittany Lion weight room to other student-athletes. Chambers mentioned a burly incoming basketball recruit who “looks like a defensive end,” then glanced back at O’Brien as he warned the coach off his soon-to-be player. It goes on and on. There’s a natural vibe between these two—fellow jocks, to be sure, but not dumb ones. It’s been great watching it develop.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Watching Bill O’Brien
I’m doing double-duty of sorts on this Penn State Coaches Caravan bus trip, which left State College bright and early Monday morning and continues on tonight in Drexel Hill, Pa. I’m doing this, obviously—blogging and tweeting when the WiFi cooperates to share the scene as Bill O’Brien and the other coaches on the trip get out and meet Penn Staters. But I’m also mindful of the O’Brien profile I’m working on for the July/August issue of The Penn Stater.
In watching him at a handful of press conferences, interviewing him one-on-one in his office a few weeks back, spending a few days with him this week on the bus, and in at least one other unlikely interaction I’ll share at some point, I’ve gotten a pretty good picture of how Bill O’Brien comes across. He is blunt, but he also can be very funny. He’s heard enough of the same questions dozens of times over the past few months, and you can tell which ones he doesn’t mind answering, and which he’d probably rather not hear again. But as me made clear at lunch Monday in Philly, he sees the value in answering them all.
He met with reporters for 15 minutes before the lunchtime gathering at the Doubletree on Broad Street, then took most of the questions (Char Morett and Patrick Chambers joined him onstage) from alumni after lunch. Throughout, O’Brien was on message—and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. His is not the sort of job in which one can focus only on one thing, and certainly recruiting and keeping tabs on his current team keep him busy enough. But he is clearly and impressively focused right now on converting the masses of Penn Staters to his cause. He insisted, as he will again and again, that academics matter. That integrity and respect will be words associated with the program as long as he’s in charge of it. And while he made no promises, he certainly talked about winning football games.
Bill O’Brien has been making a great first impression for four months now, and he looks likely to keep that up for the next couple of weeks. The games will come in the fall and results will largely determine how he’s received; for now, he’s doing all he can to show Penn Staters, in his always blunt, occasionally funny way, that he’s one of us. “I’m no longer an outsider,” he said Monday, talking about the welcome he and his family have received in Happy Valley. “I feel like a Penn Stater now.”
Ryan Jones, senior editor
On the Road with the Penn State Coaches Caravan
It’s a beautiful morning for a bus trip. And the bus isn’t too shabby, either.
I’m one of a dozen or so people on this impressively customized Fullington Trailways bus en route to Philadelphia for the first stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan. Bill O’Brien and Patrick Chambers are on board, and more coaches are set to join us over the next two and a half days; you can find all the details here. I’ll be posting throughout the first leg of the trip, so keep an eye out for photos, video, and conversations with the coaches. And if you’re on Twitter, search #psucaravan for updates.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Bill O’Brien Hits the Road
The arrival of our May/June issue means we’re well into work on our July/August edition. Among the features we’re working on is a profile of Bill O’Brien, who just wrapped up his first spring practice. I’m in the midst of reporting that one, a task that so far has included a 6:30 a.m. interview with O’Brien in his office; anyone who knows me knows the scheduled time must’ve been his idea.
Busy as he’s been, O’Brien has found time to do plenty of interviews. He’s spoken repeatedly since his hiring about the importance to reaching out to Penn State alumni and fans, and making himself available to reporters is only part of that plan. Starting next week, he’ll take his show on the road.
On Monday, O’Brien will lead the Penn State Coaches Caravan on a nine-day, 18-city tour throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states. I’m fortunate to have a spot on the bus for the first leg of the caravan, which starts next week with a Monday lunch gathering in Philadelphia and includes stops in Drexel Hill, Pa., Baltimore, Washington D.C., Richmond, Va., and Harrisburg. And that’s just the first three days; the next two weeks will include stops in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Ohio, and elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
I’ll be blogging from early stops on the caravan, which will feature O’Brien at every stop and appearances from additional Penn State coaches. If you’re not already signed up for one of the stops, you can register and find more information here. A few are at capacity, but tickets are still available for most of the events.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
A Dry Run for a New Era
It was, in many ways, like any other Blue-White Saturday. Tailgaters crowded into the lots around Beaver Stadium, and the fans who made it into the building came hoping the rain would hold off, and wondering if an obvious starting quarterback would emerge. But there were plenty of signs, both inside the stadium and out, of just how different this year’s spring football game was.
Walking up through the paved lots across Curtain Road, I saw a banner towering over a tailgate bearing the message “Joe Deserved Better.” Not far from there, a table was set up with stickers and flyers promoting a few of the 86 candidates for this year’s Board of Trustees race. Inside, the rules for the scrimmage promised a new and novel scoring system — two points for an “explosive” play of 15 yards or more, and defensive scoring opportunities (six points for a turnover, four for a sack) — meant to increase the game’s competitiveness. And of course, there was the big guy in the ball cap and sweats pacing the sideline, Penn State’s new man in charge.
It is, as we knew it would be, a new day for the Nittany Lions.
Ultimately, we didn’t learn much in the defense’s 77-65 “win” that’ll mean much this fall. The quarterbacks remain a work in progress (though backups Shane McGregor and especially Paul Jones both showed signs that they’ll make the race interesting), and there’s no telling just how tight a grasp these players have of the potentially potent pro-style offense that Bill O’Brien brought with him from the New England Patriots. Those answers won’t come until the fall. What was clear is that Penn Staters’ passion for their program shows no signs of having waned. That’s not surprising, really, but it was still something we hadn’t had a chance to actually see.
What we saw Saturday: An estimated 60,000 people made their way into Beaver Stadium for a scrimmage, on an afternoon when the forecast called for day-long rain. The clouds lingered, but not until well after the game ended and the stadium was empty did the rain start to fall.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Bill O’Brien Opens Spring Practice
Bill O’Brien was about halfway through his first spring practice press conference Monday afternoon when I got my turn at the mic. Changing the subject from the string of player personnel queries that understandably dominated the media questioning, I asked O’Brien if he’d had a chance to find a routine. It’s been a hectic seven weeks since he took over as Penn State’s head football coach, and I was curious how he was settling in.
“Other than the fact that I’m still in room five—well, I can’t give my room number out, but I’m on the fifth floor at the Penn Stater,” O’Brien said. “But I’m very settled in.”
The fact that he’s still living out of a suitcase speaks to how immersed O’Brien has been in his new role. That immersion goes even deeper this week as the Nittany Lions begin spring practice under their new coach, who will be getting his first live look at his players in actual football drills (winter workouts are limited to conditioning drills only). What has he learned so far, and what does he expect out of the next four weeks of practice, culminating next month with the annual Blue-White Game? Here are some highlights from Monday’s presser:
—The quarterback race is wide-open, with Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden, and Paul Jones currently sharing snaps. “There’s no starter,” O’Brien said, “and there won’t be a starter named possibly until the night before the Ohio game.” Meaning the 2012 season opener on Sept. 1.
—O’Brien hasn’t watched film of last year’s Penn State offense. “One of the things I wanted to do when I got here was start with a clean slate,” he said. “I didn’t want to make any judgments, especially offensively, not really knowing what they were doing scheme-wise. I wanted to evaluate them first on winter conditioning, then on spring practice.” I imagine he’ll learn a lot about his QBs over the next month.
—O’Brien said the team’s new strength and conditioning program, with an emphasis on free weights and the contagious intensity of new coach Craig Fitzgerald, has already paid dividends. He mentioned redshirt junior Adam Gress, a 6-foot-6, 306-pound offensive tackle, as a prime example. “He’s had a heck of a winter, and he’s already changed his body—he’s gone from looking one way to looking like a V-shape. That’s what you’re looking for.”
—Without getting specific, he also confirmed changes in the football support staff, alluding to rumors that have flown the past few weeks about some longtime secretaries, video staffers and others who are no longer with the program. “We’ve made a lot of changes there, and we’re really happy with the changes we’ve made,” he said. “One thing you’ll see with me, I like the phrase ‘less is more.’”
—The offense won’t review its own film until after spring practice. Until then, they’re watching tape of the New England Patriots’ offense, which O’Brien helped coach the past four years. “The basis of the Patriots’ offense will be run here,” O’Brien said, emphasizing that fans shouldn’t expect the Lions’ offense to be as elaborate or explosive as the Pats’ high-powered attack—at least, not right away. “Let’s be real clear: We’ll put in the core, then we’ll build on it in training camp.”
—He got specific about how the Lions will utilize their tight ends the same way the Patriots did—hopefully with a similar outcome. With O’Brien on staff, New England regularly went with two and even three tight ends, creating match-up problems for opposing defenses and leading to lots of touchdowns. “One of the things about the tight end position in our system, second to quarterback, it’s really the hardest position to learn,” O’Brien said. “You can do so many different things, but it’s all up to how those guys learn.”
—Asked about who will be running the offense from the sideline this fall, O’Brien was blunt: “Oh yeah, I’ll call the offensive plays.”
Ryan Jones, senior editor
More on ‘The Joe We Know’
One of the interesting things about watching The Joe We Know—the new film in which former football players talk about their relationship with Joe Paterno—is trying to name the players.
The men who appear on screen throughout the hour-long film are not identified. That was a deliberate choice by the producers, according to former tight end Brad Scovill ’81, who introduced the film at the State Theatre last Sunday afternoon. The point was for former players to reflect on their memories of Joe and the ways he’s affected their lives—and thus it doesn’t really matter whether the player speaking was once a star or a third-stringer.
Still, you couldn’t help but try to guess the identities of the faces on the screen. Some, like Franco Harris ’72, Gregg Garrity ’83, and Shane Conlan ’86, were pretty easy to recognize. Others weren’t so well known. One in the latter category was a guy who who got emotional as he talked about his and his wife’s unsuccessful and frustrating quest to have children, and how Paterno’s influence made him determined not to give up. I’ve since learned that the former player is Joe Carlozo ’74. As he explains in the film, his wife eventually becomes pregnant—with triplets. (That revelation provoked a lot of laughter from those in attendance on Sunday.)
I later found out that that Carlozo, who owns a CPA firm outside of Baltimore, does some blogging on occasion. Some weeks back he wrote this post about his role in the film. It’s worth a read.
Meanwhile, 12 more free showings of The Joe We Know have been scheduled—all at the State Theatre on College Avenue, and all in the next week. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, Feb. 24, at 4:00, 7:30, and 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 26, at 4:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 27, at 4:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 4:00 and 7:30 p.m.
For those who don’t live in State College and/or can’t make it to any of those showings, keep an eye on the Web. A site dedicated to the film is scheduled to go live on March 1 at www.thejoeweknow.org, and it’s possible that other ways to view the production will eventually become available.
Tina Hay, editor
A Glimpse At ‘The Joe We Know’
The premise was simple: Gather as many of Joe Paterno’s former lettermen as possible in a limited timeframe, get them in front of a camera to share their memories of playing for—and learning from—the legendary coach, and compile them in a film to be presented to Paterno on his 85th birthday.
The filmmakers’ only disappointment was that they didn’t finish it in time for Joe to see it.
Instead, The Joe We Know is a posthumous tribute, an hour-long collection of remembrances by former Nittany Lion football players. Presented last week as a birthday present for Sue Paterno, The Joe We Know was screened Saturday night in State College for an invitation-only audience, most of them former lettermen and their families. Those of us lucky enough to be in the State Theatre were treated to an hour of terrific, high-pitched Joe impersonations, anecdotes that ranged from hilarious to tear-jerking, and countless variations on a theme we’ve heard so often over the past month: former players who credit Joe Paterno’s role in helping them grow from boys to men.
Beyond this one-hour film, The Joe We Know is an ongoing project; the filmmakers hope to continue filming former player thought next spring, with additional footage compiled at thejoeweknow.org. The site is still a work in progress, but you can go there now to check out a handful of short clips. You can also sign up for email updates on the progress of the project, including when it might be made more widely available.
For those in or near Happy Valley, the film will be shown twice Sunday. As of late Saturday night, tickets were still available.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Nicely Done, Nate Stupar
Nate Stupar ’11 is no stranger to big moments at Beaver Stadium. On Monday, the Nittany Lion linebacker added a final highlight to the list when he proposed to his girlfriend, Marissa Lower ’11, on the Beaver Stadium turf. Looks like she said “yes.”
The moment was recorded by Stupar’s sister, Dyanna Joy, and you can see more photos at Dyanna’s website. Congrats, guys.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
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