TAMPA, Fla.; December 27, 2010 - Several members of the Penn State football team visited patients at the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital here to highlight Outback Bowl activities the past two days. The Nittany Lions resumed practice today with their first workout in Tampa in anticipation of Saturday's clash with Florida.
Six Nittany Lions visited the hospital this afternoon, splitting up into two groups, signing autographs and passing out Penn State shirts, hats, notebooks and other items during visits with approximately 30 patients during their 90-minute visit. Quarterback Rob Bolden (Orchard Lake, Mich.), wide receiver Curtis Drake (Philadelphia), wide receiver Christian Kuntz (Camp Hill), defensive end Eric Latimore (Middletown, Del.), safety Nick Sukay (Mt. Pleasant) and tight end Andrew Szczerba (Wilmington, Del.) represented the squad.
One of the patients the players visited was a two-year-old girl who suffered a seizure while opening presents on Christmas Day.
"It was great to get off the football field and put a smile on someone's face," Bolden said. "We were able to light up their world a little bit. It was great experience and I enjoyed myself."
"We visited two floors at the hospital and went in rooms to give the children banners, shirts and hats," commented Szczerba. "It was such a great experience to go in the rooms and see so many great kids during the holidays. Knowing that you are able to come in and bring a smile to their faces means a lot. It puts into perspective how much of a role model you really are."
"It was great to see the kids and give them some gifts because you could tell they were really excited for everything. It was great to see," Sukay said.
After taking Christmas Day and Sunday off from practice, the Nittany Lions resumed practice today for the 25th Outback Bowl. The team will practice Tuesday and visit Busch Gardens in the afternoon.
On Sunday night, both teams attended the Outback Steakhouse Team Welcome Dinner. The players, coaches and staffs from both squads ate approximately 2,400 pounds of sirloin, chicken and ribs and 700 pounds of salad.
ESPN2 and ESPNU will air the Outback Bowl TV Special this week. The 30-minute show looks at the Penn State-Florida match-up, including interviews with Joe Paterno and Urban Meyer, while highlighting numerous Tampa Bay Area amenities. The ESPN2 telecast is set for Tuesday, December 28 at 5:30 p.m. The show also will air on ESPNU on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Penn State will clash with Florida for just the third time at 1:00 p.m. on New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The contest will air on ABC and the Penn State Sports Network. The Nittany Lions and Gators rank among the nation's top 10 in winning percentage since 2005. Paterno's squad will be seeking its fifth bowl victory over the past six seasons, with three wins in New Year's Day post-season games.
The Nittany Lions will be making their 37th post-season trip under Paterno, who is the all-time leader in bowl wins (24) and appearances. Paterno is taking a team to a 25th New Year's bowl game, having compiled a superlative 17-7 mark. Penn State is 3-0 in the Outback Bowl, beating Tennessee in the 2007 contest in its last appearance.
The Outback Bowl is the only 2010-11 bowl game featuring two head coaches who have won a national championship, with Paterno and Florida's Urban Meyer both earning two national titles.
For Outback Bowl ticket information, go to www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets. Tickets also are available by calling 814-863-1000 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 28.