Wally Richardson stood under center, waiting for the snap. Matt Schmitt loomed over the line of scrimmage, ready to block defenders. Larry Johnson, Sr. paced the sidelines, carefully watching the play unfold.
While these are snapshots of past, present and future Nittany Lion football, last night these moments were brought together on one field at the 2nd annual Subway Easter Bowl, held at 7 p.m. on Rogers Field at Bellefonte Area High School. The Easter Bowl served as a flag-football game benefit for Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania and saw the U.S. Air Force Jellybeans square off against the U.S. Army Jackrabbits. The Jellybeans pulled off the win, 48-20 and the proceeds from the game raised $15,000. Both teams' rosters featured several Penn State football alumni along with nearly 60 local businessmen and community members. Past and present football players and coaches also lined the sidelines as honorary coaches to help with the play-calling for the game, and all participated in the autograph session and parade preceding the kickoff.
Shawn Mayer, honorary defensive coach for the Jellybeans and former safety, became involved in the Easter Bowl after meeting the coordinator of the event, Spring Township police officer Tony Roefaro.
"I do an internship with the sheriff's department and I met Tony Roefaro," Mayer said. "So I helped him out and told him I'd get the other guys involved." Mayer called upon his experience playing at safety to help the defense for the Jellybeans.
"I was definitely helping the safeties out and running around with them a bit, telling them where to drop and run," Mayer said. "They take this game really seriously so I was helping any way I could."
Along with Mayer, Jerry Sandusky, Tony Johnson and Tom Bradley served as honorary coaches for the Jellybeans, while Adam Taliaferro, Larry Johnson, Sr., Robbie Gould and Dave Opfar were on the opposing side as honorary coaches for the Jackrabbits.
In addition, Larry Johnson, Jr. served as chairman of the game and started the game with the ceremonial coin toss.
Former Penn State players Wally Richardson, Steve Delich, Matt Schmitt and Massimo Manca played together on the Jellybeans, along with quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno. The Jackrabbits featured former player Matt Knizer, strength coach John Thomas and wide receivers coach Kenny Carter, in addition to kicker Stephanie Weimer, the sole girl player in the game who formerly tried out for the Penn State football team.
Placing players opposite their former coaches led to interesting dynamics on the field.
"I can't wait to play some of my former coaches and rub it in a little bit," former Penn State wide receiver Delich said during pre-game warmups.
After Delich caught a pass from Wally Richardson and escaped downfield away from defenders, Carter approached him and jokingly asked, "Hey who taught you that?"
While the football aspect of the event was entertaining and served as a reunion of Penn State players on the football field, the charitable work of Easter Seals was the underlying theme of the evening and ultimately was what brought both the Penn State players and the local community members to the field.
"It is all about helping the kids and giving back to the community," Larry Johnson, Jr. said.
And those that are parents noted the importance of raising money for other children.
"I'm lucky enough to have children and neither is disabled," Roefaro said. "If my child is healthy, I should help out because if I had a disabled child, I would want someone to help me out."
