By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible
The football program at Penn State has always been revered for it's class and demeanor. The infamous blue and white helmets have forever been synonymous with a "blue-collar work ethic" and the Nittany Lions have long refused to take top notch athletes who don't present genuine individual character.
Their field general, the beloved Joe Paterno, is a living legend in college football due in most part for his ability to win with upstanding, disciplined individuals, not just athletic specimens.
As of recent, Penn State's unblemished image is beginning to resemble that of the 2007 Cincinnati Bengals. Numerous football players are seeing more of the court room and less of the weight room this offseason.
The latest incident involved Andrew Quarless, a sophomore tight end, who was suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. To make matters worse, Quarless is no stranger to trouble on campus. Quarless was already suspended last season for underage drinking and missed the first two regular season games of 2007.
Quarless becomes the sixth Penn State football player to be arrested this offseason and the team's legal problems range from disorderly conduct to campus brawls. I know these kids are still in college, but six player arrests in one offseason is downright embarrassing.
What these players don't realize is that their detrimental off-the-field conduct, although it's occurring at the collegiate level, will have monumental effects on their potential professional careers. Millions of dollars are at stake for those chosen to play in the NFL and character has evolved into a mandatory piece of criteria for NFL scouts when evaluating players.
(see http://nfldraftbiblethelegalline.blogspot.com/2007/08/legal-line-vol-ii.html).
Hopefully, Joepa can remedy an already tumultuous off season for the Nittany Lions. It seems that his players are in need of some guidance and supervision. Not that Penn State football players need to be reminded, but in the eyes of the law, collegiate athletes are held to the same standard of conduct as regular students.
Maybe Joepa needs to remind his team what made them so successful in the first place.
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