Greg Hennigar had a dream.

He wanted to be a Nittany Lion, the kind who throws the pigskin downfield in front of thousands of fans chanting "We Are...Penn State."

As he took to the Beaver Stadium turf for the Blue-White game in April, wearing a No. 8 jersey, Hennigar, a freshman invited to walk-on as a quarterback, was living out the goal he had carried with him since childhood.

But Hennigar's dream came to a tragic halt in the early morning of May 31, when he was killed after driving into a parked tractor-trailer on the 9000 block of State Road in Northeast Philadelphia. He was taken to Frankford Hospital-Torresdale and pronounced dead at 2:54 a.m., according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

Philadelphia police reported that the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Members from both the Penn State community and Hennigar's hometown Philadelphia neighborhood joined together at Hennigar's alma mater, Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, to remember their friend, relative, teammate and student.

"He was a favorite son of this neighborhood," Judge football coach Tom Coyle said. "People were rooting for him to overcome obstacles and become quarterback at Penn State. It's a shame we're not going to see that."

The Blue-White game was a culminating point for a kid who fell in love with Penn State while watching the Nittany Lions play in a bowl game years earlier.

However, the road to Penn State wasn't an easy ride for Hennigar.

First, there were the injuries. He broke his left collarbone his junior year and his right collarbone during his senior year, cutting both seasons short.

Then, there was the rejection. Hennigar sent film to Penn State after his junior season only to be told that the Nittany Lions already had enough quarterbacks.

But Hennigar didn't give up.

He got through the injuries by focusing on the next year's season, his father said. And he got past the rejection by sending in more tapes.

After his senior season, he finally got his call when Ron Vanderlinden, Penn State linebackers coach, asked if Hennigar would be interested in trying out as a walk-on.

One campus visit later, the answer was clear. Once Hennigar began practicing with the team, his abilities also became clear.

"He had a lot of talent, great leadership qualities -- all those intangibles that you look for in a quarterback," offensive coordinator Fran Ganter said. "The expression that we use is that he was 'in the hunt.' He had the ability to play at Penn State."

After being redshirted for his freshman season, Hennigar made an impressive showing in spring training and was slated to be Michael Robinson's backup on the White squad for the Blue-White game. Hennigar completed 3 of 11 passes for 27 yards in his first time playing as a Nittany Lion.

"It was a dream come true," Doug Hennigar, Greg's brother, said. "You go to Penn State, it's the top of the world. I couldn't believe it when I saw him out there. How many people really achieve their dreams? He's my hero."

The Man Behind The Helmet

"Greg was one of the most unique guys I have ever met," Ganter said. "[There was] something about him that made you like him immediately."

That "something" could have been his humor.

"He was so hilarious it was unbelievable," former Penn State offensive lineman Brian Borgoyn said. "He joked around all the time, and would lighten your day up."

Hennigar was renowned for his impressions. According to Hennigar's father, no one was safe from imitation, including Katharine Hepburn.

But perhaps the most sensational impression was what Ganter termed "the best and greatest Joe Paterno you have ever seen."

"He walked in with the khakis rolled up, with the voice," Ganter said.

Paterno loved it.

"I told him if he didn't make it in football, he could make it in comedy," Doug said.

Hennigar's slapstick side didn't take anything away from his compassion, however.

When he arrived at Penn State, it had not been long since Karen Ganter, the wife of Coach Ganter and mother of Penn State quarterback Chris Ganter, had passed away. Understanding the pain of the loss, Hennigar went out of his way to befriend Ganter's youngest two sons.

"He impressed my kids with his friendliness and his openness with them," Ganter said.

He extended his compassion when teammates needed it as well.

In November, Borgoyn, a freshman who came in with Hennigar, received news that he had already played the final down of his football career due to a spinal condition.

"Greg was the first guy who came up to me [after I found out]," Borgoyn said. "He told me 'You'll always be an offensive lineman to me. I won't look at you any differently, even though you can't play.' "

In Memoriam

His former teammates haven't finalized their plans, but they intend to remember Hennigar together. Judge teammates have been considering a touch football game held annually on his birthday, and fellow Nittany Lions discussed wearing patches on their uniforms.

The gap Hennigar left behind will never be filled, and the possibilities his future held never known.

But one thing is for certain: He was living out his dream.