Brett Brackett knows all about overcoming big odds. It’s been nearly 16 years since he became a household word in Happy Valley doing just that. The date was Nov. 6, 2010, and inside Beaver Stadium, Penn State was on the 7-yard line and trailing Northwestern 21-0 with three seconds left in the first half.
At stake? A 400th victory for Joe Paterno.
Brackett, a quarterback when he first arrived at Penn State, lined up at tight end. Quarterback Matt McGloin called for Brackett to run a “stick rod” route to the back of the end zone, hoping he would wiggle free. It worked. Brackett got open. Barely.
“McGloin puts it where only one person could get it,” Brackett recalled on Wednesday, standing on the Lasch practice field where he first stepped foot two decades ago. “I did everything I could to get my feet in and catch the ball. It sparked that comeback. It was incredible to be a part of that amazing history.”
Penn State went on to win, 35-21, to get Paterno the coveted No. 400. And Brackett, a stellar student double-majoring in marketing and economics, went on to have a cup of coffee with five different NFL teams.
When his time in the NFL ended, Brackett’s destiny was still on the football field — but, ultimately, not as a player. And that is what brought him back to his roots on Wednesday.
Brackett is president of Uplifting Athletes, which connects athletes, teams and organizations with individuals and families impacted by rare diseases, as one in 10 Americans will be diagnosed with a rare disease. Penn State is where it all began in 2003, when Dave Costlow and Damone Jones teamed in support of fellow Nittany Lion Scott Shirley, whose father, Don, was fighting a rare kidney disease, to create Lift For Life. It grew into Uplifting Athletes, a national organization founded by Shirley with events, programs and fundraising chapters across the country.
Brackett was back on campus to support the 2026 edition of the Penn State football team’s Lift For Life, which raised $40,000, with half of the contributions coming as a match from Matt Campbell’s coaching staff. (To donate, click here.)
“It’s unbelievable,” said Brackett, who has been an executive with Uplifting Athletes since 2017. “I was just telling Costlow, who was part of the first group that rallied around Scott and his dad and his family. You’d think that 23 years later, you wouldn’t have that much excitement. But every year — when the current guys buy in and support what we’re doing to support people with rare diseases — it just fires me up. It’s unbelievable to see their energy and their excitement.”
DOM-INATING LIFT FOR LIFE
Current Nittany Lion Dom Rulli is in his fifth season at Penn State, and the offensive lineman has taken part in four of Lifts For Life. A former walk-on who toiled for four seasons before gaining his first start in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl, Rulli understands what a long, sustained fight is all about.
“Brett’s message has been the same since I have been here: Uplifting Athletes is a great tradition and is so important,” Rulli said. “For me, to do another year with a good turnout, with a lot of money raised, has been awesome. I’m just glad to be part of it. Brett’s a great guy. He’s very passionate about it. He’s special, but all Penn State football players are the same in my mind: They’re all great people to me.
“I actually work with some Uplifting Athletes at my physical therapy internship. I observe and do some help with exercises. A couple even came today to watch and take pictures with me and celebrate.”
Brackett couldn’t have agreed more: “The families that were here today, who are impacted by rare diseases, know that these athletes have their backs. It means the world to them.
It’s unbelievable to see how far this organization has come after being started here in this community and through Lift For Life.”
COACHING MATTERS
After the event, Brackett took time to honor and thank a pair of Penn State football head coaches, past and present: Joe Paterno and Matt Campell.
“Playing sports all my life, I thought going into coaching would be a good transition,” Brackett shared. “I didn’t get into coaching, but now I get to do this through Uplifting Athletes. I get to mentor young people. That’s kind of my coaching.”
Here is what Brackett said about those two PSU coaches:
MATT CAMPBELL — “I’m grateful to Coach Campell for the opportunity to talk to the team twice. In June, we had an event at Northland Bowl, where we hosted a bunch of families who have been impacted by rare diseases. We got to bowl for an afternoon and really get to know each other. The Penn State guys had the chance to see who they are serving and why. That deep connection really helps. I’m grateful to Coach and the program for allowing me to share 23 years of history and catch these guys up on why it’s so special here. They’ve embraced it, which has been really cool.”
JOE PATERNO — “It’s about serving others. That’s one of the things that Coach Paterno did such a good job of. He didn’t want us to just be good football players. He made sure we were competing for a national championship, but he was also going to make sure we were taking care of life in the classroom and the community.
“He knew that at some point in our lives, football may not provide the same type of opportunity that it did when we were in college, so he wanted us to be leaders in the community and serve others. At this age, it’s such a formidable time in your life. If you can learn the value of serving others now, it carries you through the rest of your life — and it’s very fulfilling.”
