Michael Mauti, Penn State, and a New Beginning

A lot can happen in a year. It is not our victories that define us. Rather it is our character, which is formed in the face of trial and hardship, which show what we, as people, truly are…

The sun set on November 3, 2011 just as it had on so many other countless fall evenings in State College, PA. But, by the time the sun would set on the following day, the region, the University, and the vast network of students and alumni would be forever changed. Allegations (and, in time, convictions) of heinous crimes committed against children by [retired] Penn State Defensive Coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, rocked the university to its very foundation. The scandal took down the President of the school, administrators, even the beloved coach who was the face of everything that was good about the Penn State Nittany Lion Football team.

In the days and weeks that followed, so many of us took to whatever outlets we could find to get the word out that, despite popular belief, we were so much more than a University that only cared about being a mighty football power. One which ultimately became too big for its own good. We wanted to tell the World that when we say that “We Are Penn State”, it means so much more than just being part of a dominant athletic program.

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• Category: NCAA Football
• Tags:bill o'brien, jerry sandusky, joe paterno, matt mcgloin, michael maiti