Wahoo Wire

Editor’s Note: I approached Kylene with this opportunity very soon after the situation came to light at Penn State as I was aware of her truly special connection with that university.  As anyone who has a heart-felt connection to any university knows, any event can take over your emotions entirely for a period of time.  Given the magnitude of these events and Kylene’s unique union, the emotions and thoughts of something that is more than fanhood show through below.  Please enjoy a piece that takes more than the usual dosage of courage to write.

Watching the Hoos play last year’s national champions with my dad on New Year’s Eve was an interesting way to begin the end to the craziest football season that I could have imagined. That night, I learned that Frank Rocco, father of our own quarterback, played college ball with my dad and was two years older. I’m not sure if Rocco was around for the 1982 National Championship season that my dad got to participate in, but I would be surprised if he didn’t take pride in that win. He was a part of the university, and will forever be a member of the team, just like my dad.

Not only did I set out on a journey of my own as a first year at UVA, but I also got to watch and cheer for a winning UVA team. I will always remember storming the field after the Georgia Tech game and singing the Good Old Song in old dorms after the nail-biting win over Florida State. But this season I also had to watch a devastating end to a great career. My dad and Michael Rocco’s dad played for Joe Paterno at Pennsylvania State University. I don’t know enough to comment on the charges or current situation of the coaching staff, but I can say a few things. First, and most importantly, my family and I grieve every day for the children involved in the scandal. My thoughts and prayers are with their families, and if they cannot forget what happened to them, I pray they are made stronger and wiser people because of it.

As a football-loving daughter of a national champion and an intelligent granddaughter of a Penn State Professor, it should be more than obvious that I applied to Penn State and believable that I had overwhelming intentions of attending. Even though I’m at UVA now, and love it more than I imagined possible, I don’t regret my almost decision of going to Penn State. I know there were riots, and that the legendary football coach is gone and that the media is all over campus, but those things don’t change my opinion of the university. It is still a fantastic school and the recent events do not change its academic prestige. Penn State has the #1 student-run philanthropy, is ranked #1 by corporate recruiters and offers over 160 majors.

The loss to Auburn was only the beginning of the end to this season for me because I also got to watch Penn State play the University of Houston in the Ticket City Bowl the following Monday with my dad. It started out bad, and didn’t get much better. It ended up 30-14 Houston and I would list the lop-sided stats, but I don’t think they are important. It looks like Penn State is going to get an entirely new coaching staff, so the players should pick themselves up, dust off, meet their new coaches and start to prepare for next season.

In addition to being frustrated with Penn State’s level of play this season, I was also frustrated and angry with the amount of people who fell for the media’s trap. A large amount of people were ill-informed and thought the charges were against Paterno. I also saw horrific comments on Facebook, about how people enjoyed watching the fall of a legend and thought the shame and humiliation were rightfully projected onto the university and the football program. I still do not comprehend how the actions of one person, and lack of action of a few, that hurt innocent children should negatively affect the University or football team. Most people say it is for justice. But why would discrediting my dad’s blood, sweat and tears be justice for children he never met? I think Joe Paterno would agree that a coach does not make a team. It’s the efforts, successes and failures of the players that make a team. This scandal does not change the glory and honor Penn State football players and alumni deserve.

To wrap up what I’m trying to say, the words of the media and the opinions of the masses will never change how I feel. I still love Penn State, and I hope every other Lion will heal and be able to say the same thing. I hope I can find understanding from my fellow Wahoos.

And most importantly, I’m still proud of you, Dad, for being an All-American in high school, for attending Penn State on a full ride scholarship, for getting your degree, for finding a job and for providing for our family and me, so that I can attend UVA.

I’m proud of you, Grandpa, for receiving your degree from Penn State even though you struggled early on, for raising a beautiful family, for earning your PhD and continuing on to have a long teaching career at Penn State. I still remember sitting in on one of your lectures so many years ago.

And thank you, Penn State, for all you have provided my family. The opportunities and scholarship will forever be appreciated.

We are and Wahoowa!