The "The Story Of The 'We Are...Penn State' Motto: Part I" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Listening to my son-in-law Dave tell about his experience while walking through the Baltimore & Washington Airport.  He said someone yelled out, "We Are" and almost instantly others yelled back "Penn State."  I have also heard the same response, but as I was walking along one of the streets in downtown State College, Pennsylvania where Penn State University is located.  Seems that those four words are synonymous with the Penn State University football program.  And...when were those words first uttered?  Story goes way back to 1947 when a young Negro man named Wally Triplett played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team ( I have used the word Negro rather than African American or black, since that is what Wally preferred).  Wallace Triplett was born April 18, 1926 in La Mott, Pennsylvania.  La Mott is a small community in Cheltenham Township which is north of Philadelphia.  Wally was a natural athlete who played mostly baseball as a youngster. He grew into football when he played it when it was too cold to play baseball.  As an athlete at Cheltenham High School he played football, basketball and baseball and finally caught the eye of college coaches.  At the time he was a 5-foot-ten, 170-pounder who was quicker than he was fast.  The University of Miami recruited him for football, but when they found out he was a Negro, they rescinded the offer, as the school and city were segregated at the time. Didn't matter anyway, since Triplett earned a state-funded senatorial scholarship for academics to Penn State, where he became the first Negro player ever to start for the Nittany Lions football team.  He is in the record books a few times for his football prowess.  But, he is probably best remembered for the "We Are Penn State" phrase which is often attributed to All-American Steve Suhey who was the captain on the unbeaten 1947 team.  Well, when Miami was to play Penn State in 1947, they refused to since Penn State had two Negroes in Triplett and Dennis Hoggard.  The Penn State team stood strong and didn't play the game.  At the end of the season  Penn State was to play in the Cotton Bowl.  The team was asked to consider the possibility of leaving Triplett and Hoggard at home because Dallas, were the Cotton Bowl was played, was segregated at the time.  The Penn State team united and said, "We are Penn State, there will be no meetings," in reference to the meeting they had when playing Miami.  Wally Triplett was eventually inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.  In 1949 he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 19th round.  That year he set a team record for the longest run from scrimmage with an 80-yard touchdown at Green Bay.  Then on October 29 of the following year he had 294 yards on four kickoff returns, including a 97-yard touchdown.  That total was an NFL record that stood until 1994.  The Cotton Bowl which was held this past December 28 had Penn State pitted against Memphis and the Penn State team had a special white decal on their helmets with blue lettering with the letters WT in the middle and "We Are" on the top and "1948" on the bottom in memory of Wally Triplett.

The logo on the Penn State helmets as seen this year.

 So, I guess it is safe to assume that the "We Are...Penn State" all began in the 1940s.  But, not so say others.  But, that's a story for tomorrow.  Follow along...  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Wally Triplett died Thursday, November 8, 2018...too late to see his initials on the helmets of the winning Penn State team during this year's Cotton Bowl.