It's a Bittersweet Symphony

There are certain bridges in life that we know we have to cross at some point. We know that they are coming. We’ve read all the signs posted to prepare us for what is ahead. Yet we are never quite sure what we’re going to do when we get there. You can imagine what it is going to be like, what you are going to do, and how you are going to feel about it. But the preparation never seems to be all that accurate.

Cutting ties is perhaps the most difficult of these bridges. It’s a complicated process. You spend so much time with an individual, event, or location that you feel like it has become an extension of yourself. The crazy thing is that we can feel this way even if it is something to which we are not directly connected.

I found myself at this bridge today. As the Penn State Nittany Lions concluded their 2006 football season with a win over the Tennessee Volunteers, I was surprised to find myself terribly short on jubilation. Normally, New Year’s Day is a time for excitement, optimism, and joy, especially following a win by Paterno’s bunch. But as the players shook hands following the game, I found myself staring blankly at my television. I did not feel strong of spirit, but instead felt a rather overwhelming sadness. I knew that this day was at my fingertips, but I was hoping there would be one more sign telling me the bridge had moved a few hundred thousand miles up the road and that it would take me at least one more year to reach it.

My feelings of sorrow stemmed from the realization that it was the last time I would be able to watch Tony Hunt and Paul Posluszny play for the Blue and White. I’ve known all season that this moment was coming, but it arrived before I was ready. Even though I know it’s not the last time I will be able watch either of them dominate the gridiron, it will never be the same. That’s because these two men embodied all the traits that I use to put Penn State on a throne overlooking all other college football programs.

It feels slightly awkward to call them “men.” They are both still college students, which typically earns them the title of “kid”, but “men” seems a more befitting label for both of them. I think some of that has to do with their physical statures and their athletic prowess. Perhaps it’s also my own realization that they are closing a door of their lives that I also closed just a few months ago. I remember seeing both of these guys around campus just a few months ago. At the time, I was just a college “kid” like them, but have since realized that, at 25, I am a man too. Maybe that’s why I feel a certain connection to these two players. We may be in different lanes of the highway, but we’re traveling towards some of the same bridges.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve gravitated towards Hunt and Posluszny because of the qualities they both personify. My first real memories of watching Penn State football bring to mind two specific players – Blair Thomas and Shane Conlan. Those two men were, ironically and respectively, a running back and a linebacker. Thomas and Conlan represented the values I think my parents were trying to instill in me. They were blue-collar guys. They worked hard, played harder, did not showboat, and always seemed to put the good of team before themselves. They put toughness, perseverance, and will on display for us every time they stepped on the field. They had a respect and admiration for the game and the other players playing it.

Watching Hunt and Posluszny has made that all come full circle for me. As a man now, I realize that those qualities and values were indeed what it was all about. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons my parents guided me into the world of the Nittany Lions. Whether it was something they recognized as crucial to the experience or whether this was just something subliminal to them, I don’t think I’ll ever know. Whatever it was, Saturdays apparently were not just about football. They actually were another way of showing me the values my parents wanted to be present in me. They wanted me to work hard and to play harder. They knew I could accomplish anything I wanted to do as long as I believed in myself and showed the determination to succeed. All they asked in return was that I keep myself humble, respect other people, and put the well-being of those around me in the forefront. In my early years, Thomas and Conlan helped me to learn that. Now Hunt and Posluszny have come along to reinforce that message as I stand on the brink of starting my own life.

My reaction to watching Hunt and Posluszny leave the field today was somber because I am slightly concerned as to whether or not players of their nature will come through the program at a time when I’m trying to instill those virtues on my own children. I don’t mean to knock any of members of any other teams past, present, or future, but these guys seem to be on another level. A lot of that is because they were so skilled on the field. I’m sure other players have and will embody the same values, but they haven’t been on the same level as these guys. I also hope that when JoePa finally does step down that the program does not all take a step down. Paterno has been the backbone of this program and the best thing the program can do is to make sure that backbone keeps instilling values into both the players and their fans.



It will be weird to see #26 and #31 playing on Sundays next season. I’m going to miss watching them on Saturdays. Our family still huddles around the TV each Saturday for Penn State games and it’s just not going to be the same without these two fantastic seniors. It has truly been a pleasure to watch them play over the past four seasons and when my kids do come around, I’ll be sure they know how to pronounce Posluszny (and Hunt as well, but that’s just a little bit easier).

I wish both Tony Hunt and Paul Posluszny (and all the other outgoing seniors) the best of luck as they speed to the next bridge and all the others they may approach on their way. It was great to see the team go out with a win, even if it was a little bittersweet. Thank you - you’ve made the ride more enjoyable for all of us.