![]() ![]() It’s a proud moment in Penn State history, one we should all embrace.īut it was not the source of the phrase and cheer. The inspirational stand by the football team is fact. I understand it’s become part of Penn State’s orientation for students. The story has been repeated multiple times by Onward State, The Daily Collegian, Penn Stater alumni magazine, the Centre Daily times and more. The story is beautiful and inspirational. 8, 2018.īy the way, for you historical trivia buffs - Lee Harvey Oswald was the first person shot on live TV.Last week one of Penn State’s student media outlets, Onward State, printed a “Penn State History Lesson” which claimed that the origin of the iconic “We Are Penn State” phrase and cheer was from the actions of the 1947-48 football team, who admirably stood up to racial prejudice. Dave Regoli and his family kept in touch with Detroit Lions draftee Triplett over the years until Triplett’s death on Nov. Tamburo was inducted posthumously in the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Tamburo would make four All-America teams and played for the NFL’s New York Bulldogs. From that game on, Texas sporting events became integrated. 1, 1948, Cotton Bowl ended in a 13-13 tie with Triplett scoring the tying touchdown. 24, 1963, two days after the Kennedy Assassination, Ruby shot Oswald at point blank range in the bowels of a police department while the accused presidential killer was being transferred to another facility. The club owner turned out to be Jacob Rubenstein, better known as “Jack Ruby,” convicted killer of Lee Harvey Oswald. The owner came, pondered the situation and motioned the players inside. They hopped the fence and discovered the building was a burlesque joint called “The Carrousel.” The players went to the door and told the doorman they had Black players present. One night, according to Regoli, team members noticed a lighted building in the distance. Keeping college-aged guys on a military base wasn’t easy. So the Nittany Lions stayed at a Naval Air Base about 14 miles outside of Dallas. Paul Suhey, former Penn State board of trustees member and son of ’46 star Steve Suhey in a 2015 Valley News Dispatch interview. “We’re Penn State, and that’s it,” recalled Dr. Tamburo insisted they find a place where the team could stay together, according to Tamburo’s grandson, New Kensington-based attorney and former Westmoreland County Judge David Regoli. Cotton Bowl officials gave the OK but said Triplett and Hoggard couldn’t stay with the team at the segregated Dallas hotels. Higgins made it clear the team would only accept the invitation if halfback Triplett and tight end Hoggard could play. ![]() Cotton Bowl officials wanted to pair Penn State with similarly undefeated No. In 1947, a similar situation arose when Penn State was undefeated and ranked No. Later, of course, the chant was shortened to “We Are … Penn State.” When it was suggested Triplett and Hoggard leave the locker room while the others voted on the issue, Tamburo got up and said: “No, they are part of the team. Nittany Lions coach Bob Higgins left it up to the players to decide whether to travel to Miami. Because of Jim Crow laws in effect at the time, Miami told Penn State it could not bring its Black players - Triplett and Dennie Hoggard - to the game. Sam Tamburo, a 1944 New Kensington High School graduate and standout lineman for the Red Raiders, was part of the team when the Nittany Lions, sporting a 6-2 record, had a playing date scheduled at Miami in 1946. There is a local connection to the story that involves integrating the Cotton Bowl, the origin of a familiar college chant and an encounter with someone who helped write a dark page of American history. No shooting date has been announced, but the screenplay is completed and casting is taking place. #1947 penn state football story movieIn a piece by Trib colleague Paul Guggenheimer, the idea came from movie producer and Penn State alumnus Mark Rodgers upon hearing of Triplett’s death in 2018. Word came out recently that a movie will be made about the life of former Penn State football standout Wally Triplett who, with supportive teammates and coaches, helped integrate the Cotton Bowl in 1948. ![]()
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