Poorman: 10 People I Saw at Penn State Football’s Practice on Monday

Penn State football is as accessible and transparent as I’ve ever seen it, going back through my almost half-century of covering the Nittany Lions. So far, at least, and admittedly a small sample size. Of Penn State’s first five summer camp full-squad practices, three have been open to local media for upwards for two hours. And, on Monday, to the Big Ten Network as well.

Although a few parts of practice are off-limits for reporting — i.e., injuries or formations — or for sharing via social media, new head coach Matt Campbell has been pretty much an open book.

Monday’s chapter — which was the team’s first in full pads — provided a glimpse into Campbell’s program, not only via the Xs and Os, but also when you take a look at the people who were there. And that’s where we’ll concentrate for the following Top 10 list, after spending a big chunk of Monday afternoon safely ensconced inside a very humid Holuba Hall, where the Nittany Lions held practice due to thunderstorms that threatened the early minutes of Day 5 on the field:

1. The Big Ten Network football crew. The traveling road show for BTN was at University Park on Monday, featuring talent Dave Revsine, Howard Griffith, Gerry DiNardo and Jake Butt, who is new to the BTN team. Griffith, who had eight TDs in one game for Illinois in 1990, and Butt, a two-time All-American tight end at Michigan, looked in game-ready shape. (Neat Penn State note: PSU alum Rob Michel, a longtime BTN stalwart and a senior studio producer, was on hand as part of the working BTN team.)

The broadcasters filmed all their interviews with Campbell & Co. before Penn State’s afternoon practice, but also stuck around to watch the Nittany Lions during drills. DiNardo, who had a combined record of 58-77 in a dozen seasons at Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana, is 74 but still looked the part of a head coach and carried a clipboard to take notes. He ran from one end of the field to the other, then during an 11-on-11 live scrimmage, DiNardo stood behind the PSU offense, shadowing Campbell by about five yards.

BTN will air its “Football Training Camp: Penn State” show on Monday at 10 p.m. It will then rebroadcast the program three times on Tuesday: at 12:30 a.m., 3 a.m. and 10 a.m.

2. NFL scouts. The League had eyes all over Holuba on Monday. Representatives from several NFL teams were on hand, including the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Giants.

3. Former Penn State running back Blair Thomas and former PSU assistant coach Booker Brooks. Thomas, who rushed for 1,414 yards in 1987 and finished his PSU career as the No. 2 all-time rusher, was a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets. He was enthusiastically greeted with hugs from Griffith, who played in the NFL when Thomas did (including with the Panthers as teammates in 1995), and Michel, who did a local TV show with Thomas years ago. Brooks, a former Nittany Lions receivers coach, has been a practice mainstay and sage observer through several coaching changes at PSU. I learn master’s-level football every time we talk.

4. Former Penn State players who are an official part of the Nittany Lions’ program. As was the case with Joe Paterno and James Franklin, there are numerous former PSU players filling a number of roles on Campbell’s staff. Sighted at practice on Monday were on-field assistant coaches D’Anton Lynn, Terry Smith, Jordan Lucas, DeOn’tae Pannell and Dan Connor; staffers Jordan Hill, Alan Zemaitas, Tank Smith, Steven Gonzalez and Michael Mauti. Super Bowl champion Stefen Wisniewski, a two-time first team All-American at O-line for Penn State, serves as one of the team’s chaplains and is a regular at practice as well.

5. Pulling guard Matt Campbell. The head coach jumped into a drill fairly early in practice, and served as an O-lineman blocking for Nittany Lion running backs in drills.

6. Assistant coaches’ spouses and kids. This was also the case under Franklin, and just underscores the family atmosphere Campbell is working to bring from Iowa State.

7. Youth football players from Harrisburg, who are members of the Susquehanna CFP league. It would not be surprising if Hill, who played his high school football at Steel-High and was a successful head coach at Trinity High School — both in the Harrisburg suburbs — had a hand in the visit of nearly 40 young players and their coaches. Hill heads the Nittany Lions’ player development efforts and also was recently named the director of the Penn State Football Lettermen’s Club. He’s a great role model, ambassador, mentor and connector. When it comes to PSU football, like at practice on Monday, or in Lasch building, across campus or establishing player workplace visits in New York City, Hill is ubiquitous.

8. Pat Romano. The esteemed owner of the legendary We Are Inn in Philipsburg, now runs Happy Valley Live, a restaurant and sports bar on East College Avenue, just down the hill from Beaver Stadium via Porter Road.

9. About 20 local media members. The beat may swell to 50 or 60 later in the year, when student journalists return and more local broadcast outlets cover the team. On game day in Beaver Stadium, it is over 100. But the day-in, day-out cadre of local beat reporters who show up for open practice is relatively small — featuring subscription sites, podcasters and YouTubers, the local newspaper, some Substackers and a pair from StateCollege.com. (Read Joel Haas’s practice report here.) Most prominent on Monday: Voice of the Nittany Lions Steve Jones (a practice mainstay) and Landon Tengwall, the former high school five-star and starting PSU O-lineman who retired from the sport and now heads his own multi-platform mini-media empire.

10. Back-up quarterback Alex Manske, who has seemingly recovered from offseason surgery. He threw some rockets in practice on Monday, including an impressive deep ball to freshman wide receiver Amarion Jackson. Definitely a Dan Patrick “Play of the Day.”