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Two Words: Thank You
It has been just over a week now since our boys in Blue raised that trophy and proclaimed themselves Big Ten Champions. Forgive me for just now coming off of that euphoric high - down off of that cloud 409 we’ve all been dancing on. Sometime around mid-day Wednesday, it finally hit me like a ton of bricks. By the time I arrived home from work, I was through. Sure, I had some sleep in between, but I also had a smile that just wouldn’t go away. A sense of pride completely overwhelmed me. A total binge of happiness that no drug could ever capture. After all we’ve been through, after all of the adversity and fingers, full of negativity waved in our faces, we've come out on the other side stronger than we ever were. More unified, more hungry, and much more of a family than those that tried to rip us apart could ever fathom. With that being said, I have two words upon reflection of a most spectacular regular season: THANK YOU.
Thank you to strength coach Dwight Galt for conditioning this team to dominate the fourth quarter. Thank you to Saquon Barkley for never losing patience as the rest of his offense learned the ropes. Thank you to Mike Gesicki for being living proof that redemption really is possible as long as you keep grinding. Thank you to DaeSean Hamilton for doing such a great job of rising off the turf of disappointment earlier in the year. Thank you to Brandon Bell for his quiet leadership representing that famous #11 with pride and honor. Thank you to Marcus Allen for stepping into the ruckus every time we needed him, not to mention rising above the clouds on October 22. Thank you to Garrett Sickels, Evan Schwan, and all of the Wild Dogs for making life so rough for the opponents inside of the trenches. Thank you to Chris Godwin for being such a beast and to Saeed Blacknall and DeAndre Thompkins for stepping up when opponents locked him down. Thank you to Malik Golden for ending his career on the top of his game.
Thank you Jason Cabinda for being the epitome of Linebacker U, old-school neck roll and all. Thank you to Von Walker and Brandon Smith for proving once again that underdogs have a place in Happy Valley. Thank you, Koa Farmer, for bringing some California swagger and making an impact. Thank you to Nyeem Wartman-White for all those years of blood, sweat, and tears. Thank you Tyler Davis for being as accurate and consistent as it gets and thank you Blake Gilliken for being a true game-changer as a freshman. Thank you Grant Haley for that scoop and run against Ohio State and for that fourth down stuff in Indy. Thank you to Brian Gaia, Connor McGovern, Brendan Mahon, Paris Palmer, Andrew Nelson, Ryan Bates, Derek Dowrey, Steven Gonzalez, and Chasz Wright for finally giving us hope along the O-Line and thank you Matt Limegrover for giving them the direction they were missing. Thank you John Reid for being the very definition of a student of the game. Thank you, Andre Robinson, for being proof there is life after King ‘Quon and thank you Miles Sanders for putting in the work as a freshman. Another thanks goes out to Mark Allen for squeezing under would-be tacklers. Thank you, Tommy Stevens, for crushing the Hawkeyes on your way to pay dirt. Thank you Trace McSorley for proving lack of size does not measure the size of ones heart, and likewise, thank you Joe Julius for being the most unique as well as the most lethal kickoff specialist in all the land.
Thank you Joe Moorhead for implementing the most exciting offense since ’94. Thank you Sean Spencer for consistently sending chaos into the D-Line. Thank you Brent Pry for being one hell of a DC and motivator. Thank you Charles Huff for breathing life into those Nektons you’ve been speaking of. Thank you Nittany Nation for being the loudest, proudest, most intimidating fan-base in all of college football. Thank you Jim Delaney for giving us all the opportunity to boo you on the big stage, you certainly earned it. Last, but certainly not least, thank you James Franklin for you being you. Thank you for your vision and your guidance. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Most of all, thank you for believing in us, for believing in our future, as well as appreciating our past. From all of us to you, FrankLion, thank you for bringing the happy back to Happy Valley and restoring our roar. It’s been one hell of a ride, my friends, and there is more football to be played. A date with USC looms in the distance, but after a little time to clear the air from a euphoric high, two words kept popping into my mind. From all of us, to everyone that had a hand in making Penn State great again, THANK YOU from the bottom of our Nittany Lion hearts.
Thank you to strength coach Dwight Galt for conditioning this team to dominate the fourth quarter. Thank you to Saquon Barkley for never losing patience as the rest of his offense learned the ropes. Thank you to Mike Gesicki for being living proof that redemption really is possible as long as you keep grinding. Thank you to DaeSean Hamilton for doing such a great job of rising off the turf of disappointment earlier in the year. Thank you to Brandon Bell for his quiet leadership representing that famous #11 with pride and honor. Thank you to Marcus Allen for stepping into the ruckus every time we needed him, not to mention rising above the clouds on October 22. Thank you to Garrett Sickels, Evan Schwan, and all of the Wild Dogs for making life so rough for the opponents inside of the trenches. Thank you to Chris Godwin for being such a beast and to Saeed Blacknall and DeAndre Thompkins for stepping up when opponents locked him down. Thank you to Malik Golden for ending his career on the top of his game.
Thank you Jason Cabinda for being the epitome of Linebacker U, old-school neck roll and all. Thank you to Von Walker and Brandon Smith for proving once again that underdogs have a place in Happy Valley. Thank you, Koa Farmer, for bringing some California swagger and making an impact. Thank you to Nyeem Wartman-White for all those years of blood, sweat, and tears. Thank you Tyler Davis for being as accurate and consistent as it gets and thank you Blake Gilliken for being a true game-changer as a freshman. Thank you Grant Haley for that scoop and run against Ohio State and for that fourth down stuff in Indy. Thank you to Brian Gaia, Connor McGovern, Brendan Mahon, Paris Palmer, Andrew Nelson, Ryan Bates, Derek Dowrey, Steven Gonzalez, and Chasz Wright for finally giving us hope along the O-Line and thank you Matt Limegrover for giving them the direction they were missing. Thank you John Reid for being the very definition of a student of the game. Thank you, Andre Robinson, for being proof there is life after King ‘Quon and thank you Miles Sanders for putting in the work as a freshman. Another thanks goes out to Mark Allen for squeezing under would-be tacklers. Thank you, Tommy Stevens, for crushing the Hawkeyes on your way to pay dirt. Thank you Trace McSorley for proving lack of size does not measure the size of ones heart, and likewise, thank you Joe Julius for being the most unique as well as the most lethal kickoff specialist in all the land.
Thank you Joe Moorhead for implementing the most exciting offense since ’94. Thank you Sean Spencer for consistently sending chaos into the D-Line. Thank you Brent Pry for being one hell of a DC and motivator. Thank you Charles Huff for breathing life into those Nektons you’ve been speaking of. Thank you Nittany Nation for being the loudest, proudest, most intimidating fan-base in all of college football. Thank you Jim Delaney for giving us all the opportunity to boo you on the big stage, you certainly earned it. Last, but certainly not least, thank you James Franklin for you being you. Thank you for your vision and your guidance. Thank you for your enthusiasm. Most of all, thank you for believing in us, for believing in our future, as well as appreciating our past. From all of us to you, FrankLion, thank you for bringing the happy back to Happy Valley and restoring our roar. It’s been one hell of a ride, my friends, and there is more football to be played. A date with USC looms in the distance, but after a little time to clear the air from a euphoric high, two words kept popping into my mind. From all of us, to everyone that had a hand in making Penn State great again, THANK YOU from the bottom of our Nittany Lion hearts.