Football Club more than social organization

By GEOFF DODD
Collegian Staff Writer

About 20 years ago, a group of ex-football players, coaches and administrators held a reunion to reminisce about past glories, hardships and tribulations on the turf of Beaver Stadium many years ago.

Because the turnout was so large for this reunion, however, several high-echelon members of the Nittany Lions football roundtable decided to form the Football Letterman's Club, an exclusive organization with membership excluded to all except former Penn State football players, managers, coaches or administrators.

Today, that club is still functioning as strong as ever, and it serves as a chief way for old teammates to keep in touch through the years.

"It was going to be a big reunion for all the players," said Mike Franzetta, coordinator for the Football Letterman's Club. "At it, around 700 to 800 people showed up. It is my understanding that Joe Paterno, Sue Paterno, and (former Athletic Director) Jim Tarman had a lot to do with it."

Joe Paterno remains active in the club by contributing his thoughts on the current developments of Penn State football in the seasonal newsletter, Lion's Tales. The club tries to publish it every autumn before the football season and every spring before Blue-White weekend, according to Frank Rocco, assistant athletic director of Penn State football operations and liaison to the Football Letterman's Club.

Currently, the Football Letterman's Club is presided over by Ted Sebastianelli, a 1968 letterman and 1969 graduate.

According to Rocco, the club is "under the umbrella" of the Varsity S Club, the alumni club for all other athletes, but the football club came first.

"The Football Letterman's Club was designed as a social organization, a means by which former football players and their friends could come back and socialize," Rocco said. "There is the aspect of aiding the football program whenever possible, and aiding players whenever legally possible."

For instance, Rocco added, the Student Athletic Advisory Board and Athletic Academic Services just published a booklet of former athletes' resumes, in hopes that it will help them find jobs. However, he added, the club could not give outright grants, because the NCAA forbids athletes to receive any favors, including money, that could not be directed to the student population at large.

Despite its active past, however, the club is remaining somewhat dormant until the start of next year's football season.

"This spring we're not going to do anything," Rocco said. "A number of years ago, the Football Letterman's Club had a sit-down dinner. To do something special takes time and thought because you want it to be appropriate. You want to have a reasonable response. Some events might trigger special interest here, but at present we're not (doing anything)."

That might sound surprising, considering what it has done for Penn State over the past 20 years.