STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Matt Campbell walked through the weight room Saturday afternoon, mingling with strangers and stopping to sign autographs for kids and families. Some came up to shake Terry Smith’s hand and to thank the man who was thrust into interim head coaching duties last season and who stayed to help Campbell and this program move forward.
As THON, Penn State’s annual 46-hour dance marathon rolled on across the street in the Bryce Jordan Center, Campbell’s players new and old led kids and families impacted by pediatric cancer through their building. For a few hours Saturday afternoon, everything else in their worlds was on hold. Quarterback Rocco Becht tossed beanbags with kids as others danced to ‘Soda Pop,’ much to the amusement of the parents and kids. Penn State’s team meeting room for one day only doubled as a karaoke room.
“If you think about it, we’re all playing a child’s game at the end of the day,” said offensive lineman Cooper Cousins.
Cousins, who committed to Penn State when he was a sophomore in high school, remains one of the team’s most active players with community service and engagement. Knowing all the off-field service opportunities Penn State participates in was part of why Cousins came here. It’s also why when he gathered with his family this winter just a day removed from the Pinstripe Bowl, he was quick to tell mom and dad he didn’t want to transfer. He called offensive line coach Ryan Clanton and told him he wasn’t going anywhere.
