Penn State Football Video: Players Reaffirm Their Commitment to Program

In the wake of harsh NCAA sanctions, senior fullback Mike Zordich and senior linebacker Michael Mauti led a group of players to the practice fields Wednesday outside of the Lasch Football Building to reaffirm their commitment to the university during a trying time.

‘We take this as an opportunity to create our own legacy,’ Mauti said. ‘This program was not built by one man, and this program sure as hell won’t be torn down by one man.’

As the players finished their statement, head coach Bill O’Brien began a busy day of media appearances starting with the Mike and Mike show on ESPN Radio and ESPN 2. O’Brien gave some insight in to possible solutions to the NCAA’s bowl ban, taking the same route as Alabama a few years ago while the Tide were under similar sanctions.

‘We’re looking to schedule some sort of bowl game atmosphere at the end of the year.’ O’Brien said, mentioning that a trip to face Hawaii is being looked into by he and his coaching staff.

Penn State is currently facing a four-year bowl ban as part of a package of sanctions handed down by the NCAA in the wake of the mishandling and cover-up of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Aside from the sanctions the NCAA handed down is the ability for all players to transfer before the start of the 2013 preseason practice and immediately become eligible.

O’Brien said Wednesday that every one of his players has been contacted to gauge their interest in leaving Penn State. Some, ESPN reported, have been offered by more than 50 schools. The biggest name on that list is junior tailback Silas Redd, who is reportedly being courted by Southern California.

Earlier Wednesday, opposing coaches were spotted on campus near the Lasch Football Building waiting for players to exit so they could approach them, according to players’ Twitter feeds.

‘We have chosen to stay at PSU & other opposing coaches are outside our apartment,’ senior cornerback Stephon Morris wrote. ‘Was that the intentions of the NCAA?’

Sophomore cornerback Adrian Amos tweeted similar words.

‘Our players are in our building right now and they don’t want to leave the building because there are coaches from other schools in the parking lot waiting to see them,’ O’Brien told ESPN.