Penn State's tribute to Mike Mauti: Too much?
Glorifying just one player -- essentially putting him on a pedestal -- seems misguided. Mike Mauti wasn't the only player who stepped up this summer.
Penn State's tribute to Mike Mauti: Too much?
There is no way to describe what Mike Mauti means to this Penn State team. He gave the program a backbone this summer when all seemed disjointed, everyone seemed dejected and perhaps everything was at brink of falling apart. He convinced underclassmen to stay. He lead by example,playing gritty, determined football every game this season - that is, until this game.
When Mauti left the Indiana game with a knee injury, it was a cruel ending to an epic collegiate career. Really, Mauti is the stuff of legends. The linebacker is a quiet leader. He doesn’t like the attention. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, but he plays with class. He embodies every positive trait Penn Staters pride themselves in; Success with Honor, the whole 100 yards.
Penn State is playing today with No. 42 on their helmets, to honor Mauti whose collegiate career, barring a surprising petition for a sixth year of eligibility, is over. The “42” is large and blue and takes up pretty much the entire left side of the helmet. In a sweet gesture, senior linebacker Gerald Hodges changed his jersey to No. 42 today to honor his good friend. The helmet decals are a way for the senior to be on the field with his teammates without actually playing.
A nice tribute. According to a Penn State spokesperson, it was suggested by the team. But doesn’t it seem a bit much? He didn’t die. His football career is not over. He can still rehab and has prospects for a long and successful career in the NFL. He is just missing one game.
Glorifying just one player -- essentially putting him on a pedestal -- seems misguided. Mauti wasn’t the only player who stepped up this summer. He wasn’t the only senior who called and texted underclassmen. He wasn’t the only player to keep an even keel, persevere through unprecedented adversity and leave everything out on the field. The tribute seems like something Mauti, one of the most modest athletes you'll ever come across, would not sign off on. He'd be the first person to stress that football is a team sport and Penn State's success was a team effort.
Before the game, Penn State unveiled blue letters that read “2012” above the section on the East end of Beaver Stadium, the equivalent of the rafters at a basketball arena. It sits next to the year 2008, 2005, 1994 and 1986. In total, there are 15 other years there. They represent all of Penn State’s undefeated or championship seasons. With that, the university is saying this season is just as important, just as special.
There are more than 100 players on this year’s team that contributed to that, including 30 seniors who were honored before the game. Each played a role, not just Mauti. Penn State’s motto this season is “One Team” not “One Player.” What does everyone else think of the Mauti tribute? Comment below.
Emily, you are totally missing the point of what Mike Muati's Penn State teammates are doing, and why they are doing it. This is something that you do because your gut tells you it's the right thing to do, because there's a fire inside of you that drives you. I get the impression that you've never been a part of something that's bigger and more important to you than yourself, and can't possible relate to what is in the hearts of this Penn State team. Sorry.— fentonhardy- I like the tribute. Mauti is Penn State!
By the way, did they unveil "Two Thousand Twelve" or "2012?" If it was the latter, those are numbers not letters.— Penfold18 
I could not agree more with Fenton. I don't know who Kaplan is, but I suspect she spends more of her week in Philly than in State College. Bill O'Brien has hit every right note through the past year and I'm more inclined to trust his emotional pitch than Kaplan's sniping.- OK. I just read her bio and I guess she DOES spend most of her week in State College. She just sounds like she spends it somewhere else.
- This comment has been deleted.— GrindHouse
- There is no room here for your vulgar racisist anti semetic comments...PIG — bull****meter
- The perfect end to a trying season for the school, team, alumni, and fans. Stop rabble rousing just to get a reaction from the faithful. We are..........— RH
- This comment has been deleted.— GrindHouse
- Grindhouse,
You are a classless immature toad.
— RH - Emily-take a hike.After all PSU has been thru this year you would think you could find something positive to write about. It was a TREMENDOUS season thanks to ALL. Go PSU!!— philsfansince1946
- Emily, you are correct, Michael Mauti would not want to be recognized except as part of the team; but, it was the team that wanted this tribute. It is hard for folks to understand what this team accomplished this year, and Mike Mauti was the heart & soul and leader of this team.— Bigbirch
- I'm not sure how you can cover a team all season and not understand the importance of Mauti to the team. Also, it seems that in Kaplan's short time at the Inquirer, she has quickly adopted their biases against Penn State. Not a good way to start your journalism career.— Penfold18
- @GrindHouse you are classless so shut up. Emily, Mauti is the emotional leader of this team and the team chose to honor him in this way. That is their prerogative and a very nice gesture.— joemotrucks
- I've been a a Penn State fan since Rip Engle was the coach.Over the years,there have been lots of great names ,lots of great victories,too.Mike Mauti now joins that list of great names & going forward,there might not be a bigger name.— Yankee Air Pirate 12
- At first I questioned the tribute, but you are right Mauti, will be spoken of fondly for decades... And probably never have to buy a drink in State College. — Souperdad
This season is Joe's fourth season on the paper's Penn State beat. He previously covered the Nittany Lions for United Press International from 1976 to 1984.
Emily Kaplan is the Inquirer’s fall intern covering the Nittany Lions. She is a senior at Penn State and has covered a variety of sports for the university’s student-run paper, The Daily Collegian. Over the last two years, she has reported for The Associated Press from State College.
A Montclair, N.J. native, she has also interned at MLB Network, NHL.com and covered the 2012 Olympics in London. Follow her on Twitter here @EKaplan24.
