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