Replacing Paterno: A Penn State Dynasty

[Dale And Elis Dad]

OK. This is going to be a fictional dynasty based on the results of the game. It will most likely not be filled with stats but it will be directly created from what happens during my simulation of PSU in BBCF. I will take some dramatic license that doesn't alter the outcome of a game or the overall performance of a player. Keep in mind it's fictional and just go with the flow. I will never, however, take license with our rankings, injuries or game results. I hope you like it. Buckle up.

[Dale And Elis Dad]

[b]July 5, 2006: State College, PA[/b] This elevator smells like a sweat sock. I scanned the floor for a stray cotton odor creator but found nothing more than a quarter which I quickly picked up and put in my pocket. A bell rang informing me the snails powering the incredibly slow elevator had finally brought me to the third floor of Old Main. The churning in my stomach began to get worse as I walked out of the elevator and saw the door for the office of Penn State President Graham Spanier. I walked through the double doors into a reception area bathed in blue and white. A large lion head logo adorned the middle of the carpet and was lit by a skylight. A mousy secretary sat behind a very large oak desk alternating between taking sips of her Diet Dr. Pepper and typing on a computer keyboard. “Excuse me,” I said after a few minutes of standing on the lion’s eyeball soaking in the sunlight and hoping I wouldn’t puke. “Yes?” the secretary asked with irritation before gulping down more of the dark liquid from her bottle. “My name is Jason Wert,” I said. “I have a two o’clock appointment with Dr. Spanier.” “It’s only 1:50,” the woman said as she looked at a clock on the wall. “He’s on a phone call.” “I know I’m early,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know I was here when two rolled around.” “Wonderful,” she said with a smile that betrayed that positive word. “Just have a seat and I’ll let you know when Dr. Spanier is ready for you.” I walked to a row of leather chairs and enjoyed the way I slowly sank into the cushions. I picked up a copy of “Blue White Illustrated” and read their story on the shock across the PSU campus after Coach Joe Paterno announced he was stepping down immediately because of health reasons. It also talked about the relief across campus when the school said it wouldn’t be promoting his son Jay Paterno to the head coaching position. “Mr. Wert?” the secretary said. “Dr. Spanier will see you now.” “Thank you,” I said with a smile and put the magazine back on the end table. I rose from the chair and straightened out my suit. I couldn’t believe I was called back for a third interview for the head coaching position. I had no experience as a head coach at the college level and had only coached Bellefonte High School for three seasons. I didn’t even graduate from Penn State. I was just a guy who knew a few things about football who was born and raised in the shadow of Beaver Stadium. I walked through the tall oak doors and Dr. Spanier rose from his desk to meet me halfway across the room. “Jason!” he said with a smile. “Great to see you again. Thanks for coming on such short notice.” “My pleasure, Dr. Spanier,” I replied as I shook his hand. “I was very pleasantly surprised to get the call.” “I’ll bet you were!” a voice said from my right. Rod Erickson, the University’s Executive Vice President and Provost, rose from a leather chair and walked to greet me. “Can you blame me?” I said with a smile that I hoped hid the fact Erickson’s voice had scared me to the point I almost needed new underpants. “No,” Erickson replied. “I would have been if I was in your shoes.” We made small talk for another minute about the great weather, about golf and our shared dislike for a certain university in South Bend, Indiana. Then Dr. Spanier sat behind his desk while I took a seat in front of the desk. Dr. Erickson pulled a chair from the conference table and sat to the right of Dr. Spanier’s desk. “Jason,” Dr. Spanier said. “I’m going to get right to it because as you know time is short. Coach Paterno’s resignation left us in a bit of a hard situation. I know there was nothing we could have done to make this transition smoother but still…” His voice tapered off as he looked out the window. Coach Paterno’s announcement that he had to leave shook everyone at the University. The night of the announcement television stations showed co-eds crying all around campus and football players wearing quickly made shirts that said “Coach Paterno Forever.” “I’m sorry,” Spanier said. “That’s ok,” I said. “I can’t imagine how hard this has been for everyone involved.” “I’ve never been through anything like it,” Erickson said quietly. “Of course, I’ve never worked with someone as beloved as Coach Paterno.” Spanier smiled and opened the mini fridge behind his desk and offered Erickson and I water. I happily accepted because on top of the rolling guts I now had a very dry mouth. I forced myself to drink slowly and appear calm. “Jason,” Spanier said. “I know you have a deep love of Penn State football. When you interviewed with the Trustees they all said you were the candidate who had the best knowledge of Penn State’s history and heritage. Some people don’t believe things like that matter in today’s collegate sports atmosphere but at Penn State it matters.” “Those are kind words,” I said. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” Spanier said. I realized it was the first time I’ve ever had someone say “you’re welcome” during a job interview. Then again, I’d only had three interviews in my life so it wasn’t a big representative sampling. “I love Penn State,” I said. “I have to admit when I realized I couldn’t afford to go here after high school I cried quite a bit. I was going to take a year off to save money and then try to walk on the team but when Shippensburg University offered the full scholarship I couldn’t say no.” “You did the right thing,” Erickson said. “You put education first.” “You have to,” I said. “After four years when the stadium lights don’t shine on your jersey there has to be some way for you to feed your family.” “That’s why we want you here at Penn State,” Spanier said. I was stunned for a minute. Was I being offered a job? It couldn’t be the head coaching position. A coordinator was a possibility. I know they grilled me hard in the second interview about my defensive ideas and how it would work against the teams in the Big Ten. My heart started to pound hard because I knew I was about to fulfill a dream by being on the staff at Penn State but I fought to keep my face calm. “You want me here?” I said allowing a smile. “That’s wonderful. You know it’s been a lifelong dream of mine to be a part of Penn State football. What will I be doing? Defensive coordinator?” “No,” Dr. Spanier said. “We want you as head coach.” At this point all composure went out the window. I could tell the look on my face sufficently registered my shock and surprise because both Spanier and Erickson began to laugh. “Me?” I said. “I’ve only coached high school ball three seasons. I’ve never even been a special teams coach on the college level. You’re going to get killed in the press. Are you joking with me?” “No joke,” Erickson said in between chuckles. “You’re our guy.” “Why?” I said as I tried to make a more cohesive sentence and realized I couldn’t do it. “Why?” “All the trustees, Rod and myself were impressed with how you carried yourself and your game planning,” Spanier said. “When you showed a knowledge and love of Penn State that well surpassed anyone else I knew you were a serious candidate. At the end of the day, that’s what made our final decision.” “Thank you,” I said. “You’re taking one hell of a risk but I won’t let you down.” “Well,” Erickson said. “Remember that you’ll be under the microscope. We can probably stand it if this season you have an off year but by year two you’ll need to be well on the way to have a team like Coach Paterno had this past year.” “I know,” I said unable to control my enthusiasm. “I know. But I want you to know this: if I don’t succeed it won’t be for a lack of effort. My heart and soul is going to be bleeding blue and white.” We spent the next hour talking about the contract and my obligations as the new head coach of Penn State. I was going to start making more than 20 times the money I was making coaching high school football. I suddenly had a budget higher than the income of many small communities in Pennsylvania. I began to realize that I was in a position to become a legend or a punchline. After the hour, I left the office with instructions to go meet with PSU’s media people and prepare for a four o’clock press conference to announce my hiring. I walked down the steps of Old Main and onto the grass in front of the building. I slowly laid down and took a deep breath as I stared up into the cloudless blue skies. “Well, God,” I said out loud. “You gave me what I asked for. I hope you gave me the skills to keep it.”

[mauboy]

Great start, Jason.

[Dale And Elis Dad]

[B]July 5, 2006: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA[/B] Bathed in the late afternoon sunlight, Beaver Stadium seems even bigger than the 109.000 seats and giant press box. I steer my car off Curtin Road and into the parking area that PSU Director of Athletic Tim Curley told me to use. I could see people streaming into the stadium for the hastily assembled press conference. In what seemed like a stroke of genius to someone in the press office, I would be meeting the media at the 50-yard line of Beaver Stadium. Various dignitaries from the University would have their say and then I would be announced. None other than Joe Paterno would escort me from the tunnel on the south side of the stadium. No one thought to check with JoePa. As I was getting briefed about the procedure of the press conference, a very scared looking intern came running into the office in tears. Through the sobs she said that she called Coach Paterno’s office and he wasn’t there because of a doctor’s appointment. They said the press conference wasn’t on the coach’s schedule and that he would not be there. Phone calls started flying fast and furious while I casually sat at the conference table and ate half of someone’s Chicken Carbonara sub from Quizno’s. I hadn’t eaten all day because of the butterflies that seemed to fill me from the neck down. I still had butterflies down there the rumbling in my stomach told me they had apparently had no carbs or calories. The decision was made to go on with the press conference as scheduled and that the cheerleading squad would bring me onto the field. “Don’t worry,” Curley told me. “It’ll have the same kind of emotional impact on the press and will look great on TV!” “Won’t it look like Paterno doesn’t approve of my hiring if he’s not there?” I asked. “Some people will try and say that,” Curley said. “We’ll just ask him to release a statement that he wanted to be there but had a doctor’s appointment.” I continued to politely suggest it would make more sense to wait for Coach Paterno to be there but the freight train seemed to just keep rolling on. The teary-eyed intern came rushing back in with a hand drawn map to the stadium with a big X on a parking lot. She politely said this is where I was to park and that I should wait by the tunnel entrance. “But don’t show up until just after four,” she said. “That way the press won’t see you walking in and blow the surprise!” My smile obviously didn’t tell her that I really didn’t think the surprise would be ruined even if they saw me walk in with a sign that read “new head coach.” They’d probably think I was some lackey bringing the sign to the stage for the press conference. I parked the car and as I opened my door I could hear Curley talking to reporters giving directions about the conference and how many questions Spanier and myself could take after the introductions. I walked toward the stadium and saw the cheerleaders milling around cracking jokes and stretching. I heard some music and noticed that some members of the Penn State Blue Band were recruited to help liven up my introduction. I walked past them without anyone saying a word. Apparently they weren’t given a photo to let them know who the new coach was going to be. I stood at the end of the tunnel looking out onto the field. Spanier was giving a speech praising Paterno and his “epic contributions to not only Penn State but the history of college football.” The speech went on for fifteen minutes before he even began to talk about the coaching change and it’s impact on the school. I could hear some commotion behind me and figured that it was the band and the cheerleaders getting ready to bring the guy who looked like a wayward accountant onto the field as the new head coach. “Soak it all in,” a very familiar voice said from behind me. “You’ll never have a first day as head coach at Penn State again.” I turned to see a legend standing a mere foot away. Coach Paterno looked fine and healthy to me. He had a wide smile and even a twinkle in those 80-year-old eyes. “I’m trying, Coach,” I said. “It’s a little overwhelming.” “Welcome to division one college football,” he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s only going to get harder from here!” We both shared a good laugh and I could see some of the cheerleaders at the end of the tunnel looking at us and pointing. I smiled and waved at them. “I thought you had a doctor’s appointment,” I said. “I actually argued against doing this until you could be here.” “Well, you’re the coach now,” he said. “This is the biggest moment in Penn State football since we beat Miami in 1986.” “I thought last season was pretty big,” I said with a smile. “You showed everyone that you could still dominate at this level.” “That was a big moment for me,” Paterno said. “It was big for the team as well but it wasn’t bigger than a national championship.” I couldn’t stop smiling because the statement was vintage Paterno. The biggest moments were all about the team and not what were the best moments for Paterno himself. I still couldn’t believe I would follow in the steps of this great man. Cheerleaders and band members started to shuffle past us and form into lines. I could see Curley making some hand signals from behind the hastily built platform. The band members quietly started to play the school fight song as Spanier made a sweeping hand motion toward the tunnel. I couldn’t hear what he said but apparently it was my introduction. The band members marched out with the cheerleaders behind them. Coach Paterno started to walk out when I touched his shoulder. “Coach,” I said. “Why did you show up today?” “If I didn’t,” he answered with a smile. “Can you imagine all the press stories tomorrow about how I didn’t support my successor? I know all about you and you’re a good man. You’re going to do a great job and I don’t want you to go into this behind the eight ball any more than you already are.” He threw his arm around my shoulder and together we started to walk toward the platform. The hallowed Beaver Stadium field may have been on the receiving end of my shoes but I felt like I was walking on air. We reached the stage and I allowed Coach Paterno to walk up before me and cross to the podium. “Hey fellas,” Paterno said with a smile. “Be nice on the kid, it’s his first day.” Everyone erupted in laughter and Paterno motioned me to join him at the podium. It seemed as if a thousand flashbulbs went off to capture the moment. I knew that very soon a photo of this moment would be hanging on my office wall. I just hoped Joe would sign it.

[DocStevens]

I didn't think you posted anywhere besides OOTP Off Topic!! hehe Good luck with your dynasty!

[Dale And Elis Dad]

Actually, I have an OOTP Dynasty as well. (That's probably where mau got the idea to hint I should do one here.) [url]http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/showthread.php?t=103278[/url]

[Big Six]

You have the details exactly right. If you're not a PSU graduate, you ought to have an honorary degree. :)

[Dale And Elis Dad]

[QUOTE=Big Six]You have the details exactly right. If you're not a PSU graduate, you ought to have an honorary degree. :)[/QUOTE] Born in Bellefonte, PA. Parked cars at PSU football games from age 13-16. (My grandfather was in charge of parking cars at the games for many years.) Brother was on the varsity wrestling team under John Fritz. Spent two summers at the Penn State Band Camp while in high school. ;) I've bled blue and white since I was born. :)

[Big Six]

[QUOTE=Dale And Eli's Dad]Born in Bellefonte, PA. Parked cars at PSU football games from age 13-16. (My grandfather was in charge of parking cars at the games for many years.) Brother was on the varsity wrestling team under John Fritz. Spent two summers at the Penn State Band Camp while in high school. ;) I've bled blue and white since I was born. :)[/QUOTE] Now I remember you mentioning that you're from Bellefonte over on the OOTP forum. I'd say your Nittany Lion credentials are rock-solid. Far better than mine, since I'm neither a PA native nor a PSU alum. I have, however, been a big PSU football fan since '73...try that while growing up in Georgia Bulldog country...and I've visited campus enough to know my way around. The next bowl of Peachy Paterno is on me. :)