Ben State Football: Pregame Introductions Tell The Story

Ever since Penn State installed its brand new scoreboards at either end of Beaver Stadium there have been plenty of fancy videos and graphics to grace the center of the screens.

But none so interesting as player introductions.

Sure, it’s a pretty straightforward process. Players simply saying their names and where they are from, introduced by position with their 15 seconds of fame to flash a smile and some personality. Recruits probably love it and it’s safe to say current players are fond of them as well.

Who can blame them, it is pretty cool.

The best part though, for those of us who make our millions observing the program at large; it’s a great barometer of were everyone stands with the fan base.

At the start of the season optimism was predictably high, but a loss to Temple dulled down the excitement levels in a hurry. Introductions where full of genuine cheers but nothing too overwhelming. The offensive line got a golf clap, James Franklin got a respectable show of appreciation from the faithful.

Rutgers week and it was all of Penn State’s starters from New Jersey that got the most love. Those cheers came with a bit of rivalry attached to them. A little “You went to the right school” not so subtly snuck in before the game finally started. But yet again, Franklin got polite cheers, Hackenberg and the line appreciative claps for their efforts and improving play.

You could maybe write this all off as people having things to do minutes before the game starts. It’s not as though introductions require participation in order to take place. Maybe you just clap to clap or cheer because Penn State is your team. Maybe your hands are full.

But then there are the other players. Anthony Zettel for example, always gets a noticeably big cheer. Akeel Lynch and good-looks and always dependable DaeSean Hamilton get large roars from the crowd as well. Even the likes of Troy Reeder and Jason Cabinda have seen their vocal appreciation increase as the weeks have gone a long as well. If you make big plays, or happen to be a 259 pound kicker, suddenly everyone likes you.

Certainly all of this has to be taken with a grain of salt. Nobody has ever gotten fired over your decibel reading during pregame introductions. This is especially true in a day and age where being angry online is simply a hobby.

But you can learn a lot about the state of affairs in Happy Valley by just listening.