1 0 BEHREND BEACON November 6, 2009 www.thebehrendbeacon.com Sp PSU FOOTBALL Four generations of Blue and White domination SHAWN ANNARELLI sports editor Fullback Joe Suhey is a fourth-generation Nittany Lion football player, but he has more than just a tradition to carry. He has to uphold a legacy of excel lence. The first family of Nittany Lions football began when two way end Bob Higgins stepped onto Penn State's New Beaver Field in 1914. Higgins began what is now a four-generation family tradition of Penn State football. He was Penn State's second All-American football player and later coached the Lions from 1930 to 1948. The teams he coached had an overall win ning percentage of .607. Higgins was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954. Higgins' son-in-law, Steve Suhey, went on to be an All- American guard in 1947 and was named MVP of the 1948 Cotton Bowl. Suhey started one of the most famous chants in sports history. After Penn State was invited to play in the 1948 Cotton Bowl Suhey proclaimed, "We are Penn State. There will be no meetings." He did this because southern universities were going to at tempt to keep Penn State's two black players from participat ing in the 1948 Cotton Bowl. In that period of time it was com mon for northern teams to dis own its black players when facing southern teams. Suhey and Penn State pre vailed in the team's crusade to play its black players in the south and won the game. He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Suhey had three sons, Larry, Ommdweimillimp Ilemmissibes Climblbw Randy Litzinger / Icon SMI Sophomore Joseph Suhey is the seventh member of the Higgins- Suhey family to don a Blue and White Nittany Lions jersey. Matt and Paul, who each played at Penn State in the 19705. One of them, Matt Suhey, stepped onto Beaver Stadium's football field in 1977. He went on to play fullback for the Chicago Bears from 1980 to 1989. He was a fan fa vorite of the famous 1985 Super Champion Chicago Bears. Paul Suhey's son, Kevin, be came the family's first fourth generation football player at Penn State from 2005 to 2007. He did not see any playing time at quarterback. Matt Suhey's son, Joe, is the 4Muommi(bommuilllio - iilik, w.,..,_:.._, ;..:.... ' ...:.$;:.. .' second Higgins-Suhey fourth generation Penn State player. Joe Suhey was a red-shirt in his freshman year of 2007. In 2008, Suhey saw marginal play ing time and got onto the field for 172 total snaps. This season he has rushed the ball 13 times for 38 yards, and has caught 14 passes for 114 yards. His first collegiate touch down continues to elude him, but he's going to need more than just a touchdown to be a good following act to his fore fathers. MOM acomPiamme orts
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