chevron-down minus x x-circle linkedin logo logo-old monogram Search Facebook Twitter Instagram Email Link YouTube Chevron Right Skip to main content

Top Navigation

  • Alumni Association
  • Penn State News
  • Penn State Athletics

User account menu

  • Join
  • Log In
Home
The Magazine of the Penn State Alumni Association

Current Issue

cover of Sept/Oct 2026 issue of Penn Stater magazine

Spider Caldwell's Personal History of Nittany Lion Football

Explore

Campus Life
Campus Life
photo of PA General Assembly building exterior, Adobe Stock

Dear Old State: September / October 2026

Campus Life: September / October 2026
In the Name of Love
Fostering Independence
Sports
Sports
opening spread of Keeper of the Flame featuring a photo of Caldwell's office door and Caldwell standing behind desk inside with PSU football memorabilia on wall and desk by Nick Sloff '92 A&A

Keeper of the Flame

When Brad “Spider” Caldwell retired in July, it marked the formal end of his more than four decades as part of the Penn State football program. That run started when Caldwell ’86 H&HD joined the team as a student manager for the 1983 season, and it continued through a 31-year career, most of it spent as head equipment manager. Beginning in 2015, he worked as the events and facilities coordinator at Beaver Stadium, where his office served as an unofficial shrine to his favorite teams, moments, and people. Before he stepped away, he invited us in to share some of those memories.
Chalk Talk: Brenden Leahy
In Their Words: Keith Radecic
Nittany Lion Spotlight: Cooper Cousins
Viewpoints
My Thoughts Exactly
illustration of Savita Iyer, an Indian woman with shoulder-length salt and pepper hair wearing a colorful wrap and gold earrings, by Marcos Chin

The Heart Grows Fonder

One inevitability in any workplace, as in life, is that people will come and go.
Switching Seats
Who Tells Your Story?
Letters: July / August 2026
Faculty Expertise
Faculty Expertise
closeup of a pierogi by Marc Kauffman

Cool Class: FDSC 105 Food Facts and Fads

Food science professor John Coupland helps students examine the role of food through the ages.
Drive-Thru Decisions
Q&A: Joel Segel
Broad Expertise, Big Impact
Past Issues
Alumni Association members have access to dozens of complete back issues of the Penn Stater.
Read Past Issues
Home
The Magazine of the Penn State Alumni Association

Footer menu

  • Articles
    • Campus Life
    • Sports
    • Alumni
    • Faculty Expertise
  • Viewpoints
    • From the Editor
    • Reader Mail
    • My Thoughts Exactly
  • Members
    • Association News
    • New Members
    • Class Notes
    • In Memoriam
  • Past Issues
    • Sept / Oct 2026
    • July / August 2026
    • May / June 2026
  • About
    • FAQ
    • History
    • Team
  • Resources
    • Alumni Association
    • Penn State News
    • Penn State Athletics

Become a Member!

For full access to Penn Stater content, including our archives, and a host of other benefits, join the Alumni Association today.

Join

Bottom Navigation

  • 2026 Penn Stater. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy

Main navigation

  • Articles
    • Campus Life
    • Sports
    • Alumni
    • Faculty Expertise
    • The Latest
    • From the Archives
  • Viewpoints
    • From the Editor
    • My Thoughts Exactly
    • Reader Mail
  • Members
    • Association News
    • New Members
    • Class Notes
    • In Memoriam
  • Past Issues

User account menu

  • Join
  • Log In