UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Head coach James Franklin frequently talks about being successful in all facets of a football program.Simply put, he wants each member of the program to have the entire package – athletically, academically, spiritually and in the community.
On the heels of ending Franklin’s first season with a thrilling 31-30 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl and a stellar fall semester academically, the Nittany Lion football program set the benchmark for success off the field during the summer and fall of 2014, completing a program-record of more than 1,900 total hours of community service.
Beginning with volunteer hours at the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games on June 6 and ending on Dec. 26 with a visit to Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York, members of the football program participated in more than 30 different community service events during the summer and fall semesters in 2014.
A pre-season highlight was a trip to Hershey Medical Center on July 23. The entire team boarded buses for a drive to Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital just before the start of training camp. The team visited with patients and their families in different sections of the hospital.
“There is nothing more important than taking the time to share a smile with somebody and making a positive impact on their life,” Franklin said. “Having this type of visit, it puts things in perspective for us.”
The list of events includes 23 community service engagements during the football regular season. Highlighting the list was the United Way’s Day of Caring, which takes place each October in State College. Approximately 50 members of the team used an off day during a bye week to give back to the community by helping with the upkeep of Centre Furnace Mansion.
Additionally, nearly 25 members of the team and LifeLink special education students carved and painted pumpkins on the patio of the Lasch Building on Oct. 16. Approximately a dozen members of the team played games and participated in the Buddy Walk at Medlar Field to help raise awareness for children with special needs and support the Centre County Down Syndrome Society on Oct. 18.
In November, the football program adopted Noah Benner through Friends of Jaclyn foundation as an “official” member of the team. Members of the staff gave Noah and his family a tour of the football facility before meeting and speaking with the team at practice.
The Nittany Lions also gave Deven Jackson, a Perry County native, an opportunity to tour the football facility and visit with the team at practice. Jackson, who suffered from kidney failure and lost both of his legs to meningitis, inspired the team by competing in youth football with two prosthetic legs.
The week leading up to Thanksgiving was a big time period for community service. The Nittany Lions spent time participating in “Roar for Reading” at local elementary schools, visited The Village, a State College retirement community, spent time with children at the Bellefonte Youth Service Bureau and helped the State College Food bank move more than 2,000 pounds of food.
The long list of community service opportunities is met with tremendous enthusiasm from the student-athletes on the roster. The members of the team jump at the opportunity to lend a hand in the community.
“I absolutely love it,” freshman linebacker Jason Cabinda said. “It keeps you grounded. Obviously, you like to do it because you want to help the community as much as possible, but it helps me as a person. You grow and you get to see just how fortunate you are. It makes you appreciate all of the things around you.”
Also in 2014, the Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes set new heights with fundraising efforts surrounding the 12th annual Penn State Uplifting Athletes Lift For Life on July 12. The chapter raised a record $151,990 last year, bringing the cumulative total to more than $1 million to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association.
Looking ahead, the latter stages of February will be another busy time for the Nittany Lions in the community. The team and staff will again play a big role in the THON festivities beginning on Saturday. The Lions will host their annual THON 2015 Explorers Program (The Football Experience). Members of the team will provide a tour of the building and have an ice cream social with Four Diamonds children and their families.
The Nittany Lions will also participate during THON's Athlete Hour on Saturday afternoon, in addition to dancing on stage as part of the annual pep rally later Saturday.
Penn State’s community service activity adds to the program’s outstanding semester off the field. The team produced a record-setting academic performance during the fall 2014 semester, with 51 squad members earning at least a 3.0 grade-point average, the second-highest total in program history.
The squad set program records with 25 student-athletes earning dean's list (grade-point average of 3.5 or better) recognition, 57 players owning a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher after the fall semester and 21 true freshmen posting a 3.0 GPA or better last fall.
Additionally, a Big Ten Conference-high 16 members of the football team had earned their degrees prior to the Nittany Lions' win in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl to rank in the top 10 percent among all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions.
Penn State returns 15 starters (seven offense, seven defense, one specialist), and 14 additional players who have started, for the 2015 season. The Blue-White Game is set for April 18 in Beaver Stadium at 4 p.m. and the season opener is Sept. 5 at Temple.
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