Welcome to Nittany Lion Notes

By Jared Trexler
Nittany Lion Notes

For The Glory. For Those Who Came Before Me. A historical and current glance at the nation's preeminent college football program.

This media outlet will not be an extension of Penn State's once-dominate football program. Press releases will be posted, yes, if for no other reason than so well-respected SID Jeff Nelson can see his work in print.

This blog will serve three folds (an art project of sorts). First, Nittany Lion loyalists -- and those Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State fans who love to point out the blemishes on the PSU resume -- can count on a morning culmination of Penn State football articles from sports writers across the country. A You Tube clip may even make its way into "Cup of Morning Joe" -- a national look at the state of the program.

Second, this space will serve as a hard-hitting football forum for myself and hopefully equally talented, opinionated wordsmiths across the nation. If you have a comment on any column -- breathe first, then react. All comments with proper, post-able grammar will be available for the world to see.

I will tackle Joe Paterno's lasting legacy, and his decision to go for it on fourth down. I will break down position battles and look at the history of Linebacker U. In general terms, everything that deals directly with the past and present of Penn State football is fair game.

Finally, I am a writer. I -- believe it or not -- hone this craft for a modest living. In fact, I will have a book hitting shelves (and our world wide wide shopping carts) in late August. This blog will hopefully provide a snapshot of my writing and also serve as a vehicle to increase book sales, and with good reason: $2 on every book sold through www.sportsbythenumbers.com will go directly to THON.

What is THON you ask? Only the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising over $6.6 million last year for the Four Diamonds Fund, a charity devoted to defeating pediatric cancer through research and caring for patients at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center Children's Hospital. Over 700 dancers braved tired legs and heavy hearts to participate in the 2-day event at the Bryce Jordan Center in 2008.

So, I hope you enjoy a hard-hitting, informational look at Penn State football throughout this season and for years to come.