When reporters called into A.Q. Shipley's conference call Wednesday, the voice on the other end provided Shipley's normal straightforward answers -- even accentuated by the Penn State center's common, "ya know" verbal tick, reporters said.
There were no jokes or laughs, just normal answers to the normal football questions.
But several reporters said they were suspicious of Shipley's voice; they couldn't quite figure out if it was actually Shipley who was on the call.
About two-and-a-half hours later, Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson sent an e-mail to reporters on the beat, confirming what some already suspected.
"Another member of the squad posed as A.Q. and answered the questions on the conference call today," Nelson wrote in the e-mail. "Please accept our apologies for this occurrence. We will endeavor to see that it does not happen again."
Turns out, with No. 6 Penn State preparing for a primetime matchup at Wisconsin this Saturday, some players apparently decided to lighten the mood and play a joke on the media.
One reporter, Derek Levarse from the Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, said he couldn't tell it wasn't Shipley.
"Honestly, no. It sounded a little muffled and definitely sounded like an offensive lineman," Levarse said. "But I guess other people are more observant than me."
But other reporters on the call picked up on the prank and strongly suspected the prankster was none other than guard Rich Ohrnberger -- Shipley's linemate and resident team jester.
Jeff McLane, from the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote in his blog he didn't discover the prank until he talked to another reporter.
"I did a little investigative work (Uh, called another reporter) and found out that it was guard Rich Ohrnberger, considered the class clown of the team," McLane wrote. "He answered around 15 minutes of questions, but there were a few suspicious reporters."
Though it couldn't be confirmed the prankster was indeed Ohrnberger, he has been known to joke around in the past. He once said lineman Quinn Barham is "a great kisser, but nothing open-mouthed. Nothing crazy. Soft stuff."
The senior guard also told the Collegian during media day his favorite off-field activity was spelunking -- the recreational sport of exploring caves. And when asked to name his dream Hollywood star, Ohrnberger answered George Clooney.
The anonymous caller discussed the Lions' plans to add depth at tight end, which has been depleted by injuries to the top two options, Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless.
The prankster said third-string tight end Andrew Szczerba has seen an increased number of reps in practice and Mike Lucian had practiced some snaps at the position, but the information could not be confirmed.
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Lucian started the season as a reserve offensive guard and also saw time at defensive tackle this season.
Penn State's football and communications branding director Guido D'Elia declined to comment on the call.
