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Pulse of Penn State in Central Texas

Updated: Saturday, September 15 2012, 07:58 PM CDT
State College, Pennsylvania, home of Penn State University, is known as Happy Valley. Lately though, there has not been much to smile about. An unprecedented scandal crippled the Nittany Lions football program. However, we found out Saturday that while coaches and players may have left, Penn State fans have not gone anywhere.

Mister Tramps Pub in North Austin hosts the official football watch parties for the central Texas chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. Despite an 0-and-2 start to the season, a year that has seen 13 players leave the program, Mister Tramps was filled with fans Saturday for the Nittany Lions game vs. Navy.

Our question was simple: why, in such a dark hour for the school and the program, when many people have turned their back on the team, are these fans still showing support?

"We want to support these guys who chose to stick through," says Chris Bitter, Penn State class of 1999. "These guy wanted to fight for the University and are showing what we really do mean small as a small community. We are all family here."

"These students chose to stay at Penn State through the adversity that they had nothing to do with," says Steven Pierce, Penn State class of 2007. "They [the players] are doing everything in their power to excel at what they do and that's what Penn Staters are all about."

The Nittany Lions defeated Navy 34-7 Saturday to pick up their first victory of the season.Pulse of Penn State in Central Texas