Titles by Joe Paterno

Adam Taliaferro had it all: smarts, an easy-going personality, and incomparable athletic ability. None of that seemed to matter, however, on that fateful September day when his father was given startling news: Do not expect your son to walk. Ever. Since that numbing day, Taliaferro, the Penn State freshman cornerback who was paralyzed after he tackled an Ohio State running back, has defied the odds. Before he had spinal-fusion surgery, he made a vow to his mother: “Mom, I'm not going out like this.” Three months later, he walked out of a Philadelphia hospital on crutches, determined to complete his amazing recovery, making the name “Adam Taliaferro” synonymous with courage and perseverance.

<P>Penn State football icon Joe Paterno has presided over five undefeated seasons in his storied career as a head coach. Charlie and Tony Pittman played in three of those seasons. The Pittmans are the only undefeated father and son starters in the history of the Nittany Lions&#8217; program and their experiences are brought to life in their compelling new memoir <I>Playing for Paterno</I>. Charlie Pittman&#8217;s teams&#8212;unbeaten in 30 games&#8212;laid the foundation and established the legacy for Penn State&#8217;s winning ways; they are the reason Penn State became a powerhouse. Tony&#8217;s 1994 team was considered by many to be one of the best offensive teams in college football history. <I>Playing for Paterno</I> takes the reader inside the Blue and White world of Penn State football and gives insight into the profound impact Paterno&#8217;s program has had on young hearts and minds. The reader sees through the eyes of Charlie Pittman, a poor, black Baltimore kid who was transported to the alien, all-white world of Happy Valley in the 1960s and Tony Pittman, a child of privilege who spurned Harvard and Yale for big time football at Penn State in the 1990s. But the book offers much more than just life inside one of the premier programs in college football. It takes the discipline, confidence, and integrity of the Pittmans, Paterno and Penn State football and translates them into practical primer for readers who want to apply these principles to their own lives and careers.

What It Means to be a Nittany Lion: Joe Paterno and Penn State's Greatest Players explores what seems to be a simple question: What does it mean to be a Nittany Lion? One person or one phrase cannot answer that question because so many emotions encompass the true Nittany Lion spirit. The greatest Penn State players and coaches from the past eight decades were called upon to express why they are so proud to be a part of the storied tradition that is Nittany Lion football and give fans an inside look on their college careers at Happy Valley. What It Means to be a Nittany Lion brings together all of their stories, as told by the most outstanding voices of the Penn State program, guaranteed to enhance your passion for Nittany Lion football. It’s not just one tradition, one season or one particular gameâ€â€Âit’s the stories coming from the players who experienced the magic over the decades that capture the true essence of the Nittany Lion way.