Five Facts You May Not Know About Penn State Nittany Lions Football

The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the most famous college football teams in the country. Throughout the 2007 season they have won two national championships and have recruited numerous players into the world of professional soccer. The first thing many people think of when Penn State’s football program first crosses their minds is the incredible longevity of its head coach Joe Paterno. His first year as coach of the team was in

1. Penn State went undefeated in the first year it competed intercollegiately in football. The year was 1887 and there were only two games on the schedule.

2. The Lambert Trophy is awarded each season to the best college football team located on the East Coast. It has been awarded every season since 1936. Penn State has won the award 26 different times.

3. The first African-American football player to be drafted and then play for an NFL team was Wally Triplett, who was a star running back for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

4. Matt Bahr, a former kicker for the Penn State football team from 1976 to 1978, went on to play in the National Football League for six different teams over fifteen seasons, including the Pittsburgh Steelers (1979-80), the San Francisco 49ers (1981), Cleveland Browns (1981-89), New York Giants (1990-92), Philadelphia Eagles (1993), and New England Patriots (1993-95). No Penn State football player has played more professional football games than Matt Bahr, who appeared in 235 contests.

5. In 1987, 13 Penn State football players were selected in the NFL Draft. This was the most Nittany Lions players drafted in one year.

Penn State is easily one of the most famous schools in all of college football and longtime head coach Joe Paterno had a lot to do with it. Under his watch, the team has had undefeated seasons, national championships and, after joining the Big Ten Conference in 1993, conference championships as well. Penn State has built one of the most respectable football programs in the country and there’s no reason to think they won’t continue to be hugely successful in the future.