The State College Spikes will pay tribute to a trailblazing Penn State student-athlete with a special promotion this summer.
A Wally Triplett bobblehead will be given away to the first 1,000 fans attending the Spikes 6:35 p.m. game on July 29 against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Created in consultation with Triplett’s family, the bobblehead is modeled on Triplett’s look in the 1948 Cotton Bowl and features a button that plays “We are” when pressed.
Penn State football’s first African-American starter and varsity letter-winner, Triplett also was the first African-American player to be drafted into and play in the NFL when he was selected by the Detroit Lions in 1949. In 1948, when Penn State was selected to play in the Cotton Bowl in then-segregated Dallas, opponent Southern Methodist University reportedly requested a meeting to ask the Nittany Lions not to bring Triplett and teammate Dennie Hoggard.
Captain Steve Suhey led Nittany Lion players in opposing the effort to bar their Black teammates from the game, saying “We are Penn State. There will be no meetings.”
Triplett and Hoggard became the first Black players in the Cotton Bowl, with Triplett catching the game-tying touchdown in Penn State’s 13-13 draw with SMU. He was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018, months before he died at the age of 92.
“All of us at the Spikes are honored to celebrate a trailblazer who transcended sports and made his mark on our entire culture in Wally Triplett,” Spikes President and General Manager Scott Walker said in a news release. “Wally Triplett truly personified the spirit of ‘We Are’ in every way, and we look forward to joining with the Happy Valley community to celebrate his legacy together at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park this season.”
In addition to his groundbreaking roles on the collegiate and professional fields, Triplett became the first first NFL player drafted into the military for the Korean War. He served two years in the Army before returning in 1952 and finishing his NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953.
“We are excited to see my grandfather’s legacy recognized by the State College Spikes this summer,” Triplett’s granddaughter Ayanna McConnell said. “He was a humble and resilient man who paved the way for generations of athletes in college sports and the NFL. Although he began his family and professional life in Detroit, Grandpa Wally’s heart remained attached to Happy Valley.”
The July 29 matchup with Mahoning Valley also will feature a postgame fireworks show. Other promotions for the 2022 season will be announced soon.
State College opens its 80-game MLB Draft League season on June 2 at Williamsport and will open the home slate at 6:35 p.m. on June 3 against the Crosscutters. The 40 home games at Medlar Field are the most in club history.
