Stacks of unopened mail litter the floor in the dark, empty Sports Café. Pretty soon, someone may be there to pick them up. Someone familiar to State College residents.

Former NFL and Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington has applied to take over the liquor license at the Sports Café & Grille at 244 W. College Ave., the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board confirmed yesterday.

An orange piece of paper bearing Arrington's signature hangs in the window of the bar that has been closed since December.

Francesca Chapman, deputy press secretary for the PLCB, said yesterday that the board would have to determine if Arrington and his associates are qualified to take control of the license.

Arrington and his group, F.A.M.M. LLC, will have to present their plans for the establishment and pass a background check to acquire the license, Chapman said.

"In order for us to consider the transfer, the license has to be made current, so that's something for the existing owners to do," Chapman said.

"They have some paperwork to handle at their end and we're also considering Mr. Arrington's application on our end. So there's plenty that has to happen."

The bar's liquor license expired on Jan. 31. The current owner of the property, Ed Friedman did not immediately return calls.

Arrington was outside the Sports Café in May. He would not say for sure whether he had any interest in the bar, but told a Collegian reporter to "keep your eyes peeled."

"What is it, May?" Arrington said. "You might start seeing something happen in the next month or so."

Arrington's agents, Carl and Kevin Poston could not be reached for comment.

The Washington Redskins chose Arrington, a two-time All-America linebacker at Penn State, in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. He later moved on to the New York Giants, retiring in 2006 after a serious motorcycle crash.