There is an old Latin saying that goes like this: Facta, non verba.

Deeds, not words.

The Penn State football team, laden with seniors who've been through two losing seasons, has taken those words to heart.

"There's a little less talk, a little less big rah-rah type of speeches," sophomore quarterback Zack Mills said of the seniors. "They are just going out there and leading by example which sometimes is better."

The best part about it, it seems, is that this senior class is putting in the work so that they are good enough to lead by example.

Senior defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy is the poster boy for the movement, owing to his decision to return to Penn State and restore the storied program to its former glory. When Kennedy tells the story of how much he cares about Penn State and his heartfelt desire to bring the program back, it tends to sound very clichéd.

But he has done the work so he can prove it to people.

"I'm not much of a loud talker, you know what I mean?" he said at Big Ten Media Day prior to the season. "I don't think guys should need to be motivated. Nobody should have to tell them to play hard. Besides, how am I going to get in people's faces if I'm dogging it in practice? So I don't. I just work."

Kennedy also openly chastised last year's group of seniors, saying they were more concerned with going out on Thursday nights than with winning football games.

Other seniors have copied Kennedy's approach and also have a similar aura of dedication surrounding them.

Gus Felder has a wife and two kids.

Matt Schmitt has dealt with diabetes and injury throughout his career.

Joe Iorio is a walk on.

Bryant Johnson overcame a sophomore season during which he was moved to cornerback because he couldn't catch the ball.

Larry Johnson has waited his whole career to be the go-to guy.

Michael Haynes had an excellent sophomore season and slumped through a miserable junior campaign.

And the list goes on.

"Nebraska was a big game for us as seniors," Shawn Mayer said. "We all got very caught up in it. We have a whole bunch of seniors, and everyone feeds off of that."