Penn State Football Letterman's Club aims to help former team captain fighting ALS
Former Penn State fullback Steve Smith helped lead the Nittany Lions to the second of Joe Paterno’s two national championships in 1986. Now, Smith’s family, friends and the Penn State Football Letterman’s Club, have set out to help Smith in his ongoing fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Former Penn State fullback Steve Smith helped lead the Nittany Lions to the second of Joe Paterno's two national championships in 1986. Now, Smith's family, friends and the Penn State Football Letterman's Club, have set out to help Smith in his ongoing fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Penn State released a press release on Tuesday with more information on how people can help Smith, the former Penn State captain who is in his ninth year battling the disease.
"He'll always be our captain – he's even helping guys these days," said Rogers Alexander, who was Smith's teammate in high school (DeMatha) and at Penn State. "He's always encouraging, always helping."
A website, www.stevesmithfund.org, on which donations can be made and updates about Smith will be provided, is scheduled to launch this week. Donations can also be made by calling 1-800-242-0335 or by texting STEVE (space) the amount you wish to pledge (space) your name to 95495.
Smith will be honored as the "5th" captain before Saturday's Penn State – Iowa game at Beaver Stadium.
The 1986 national championship team will be honored at halftime of the game and Smith's parents and children will be there to represent him.
--Jake Kaplan