Poring through Penn State encyclopedias and media guides, Jared Trexler delved into his alma mater's history to write his recent book, Penn State Football: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports.

He said the book, which explores the history of PSU football since the program's 1887 inception, offers more than a list of facts. "There's a great mixture of history and creativity, so that when somebody is done reading the book, they won't just have an information-packed sense of Penn State's football history," Trexler said.

Trexler, Class of 2005, will be holding a signing for the

just-released book at the All-Sports Museum Gift Store this Saturday before the Nittany Lions take the field against Temple.

The first chapter details the circumstances surrounding the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, in which underdog Penn State beat Miami in the highest-rated college football game in television history, he said.

"While it's a historical guide, that first chapter also sets the table for a book filled with personality, determination and the Penn State way," Trexler said.

The book is part of Sports by the Numbers, a series that guides readers through the histories of different sports teams using the numbers one through 1,000. Each chapter contains 100 numbers, which highlight certain facts. For example, the number 47 describes how Todd Blackledge threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to receiver Gregg Garrity in the 1983 Sugar Bowl, which led Coach Joe Paterno to capture his first national championship.

Tom Fankhauser, assistant manager at the Penn State Bookstore, said he's always

looking to present things that please Penn State fans at home games.

"We just try to showcase it out there to add to the other festivities that are going on," he said.

Veronica Kane, a marketing assistant at publisher Savas Beatie, said the book brought back memories of the days she spent at Penn State as an undergraduate. She appreciated the lesser-known facts and trivia, she said.

"It goes through the whole history of Penn State -- not just the glory years, but the losing ones as well," Kane, Class of 1989, said.

Given his experience at Penn State, Trexler said he enjoyed writing the book.

"I love writing, and I love Penn State, and I love Penn State football, so it was a natural fit for me," he said.