Dec. 28, 2010
Click Here for Photos from Tuesday in Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. - Joe Paterno met with the media and the Nittany Lions conducted practice and visited Busch Gardens during a busy day of Outback Bowl events.
The Hall of Fame coach and Florida's Urban Meyer jointly met with the media prior to practice, with four days left until their squads collide in the 25th Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
Paterno said he is pleased with his squad's progress since arriving in Florida.
"Our kids have worked hard. We're getting better. I think we're going to be ready. I think we're going to have a good football game...just go out there and have a little fun."
In his 45th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Paterno was asked about his coaching future, as he has been at bowl press conferences for many years.
"I haven't even thought about it," said Paterno, who owns a 401-134-3 record and is the FBS all-time leader in victories, bowl appearances and post-season wins. "The situation around me is very stable. We haven't had a lot of guys (assistant coaches) leave. We have a lot of fun together. I feel great."
Paterno also was asked about Galen Hall, who coaches the Nittany Lions' running backs and oversees the offense. Hall, who played at Penn State, was head coach at Florida from 1984-89, leading the Gators to a 40-18-1 record, including a 9-1-1 mark in 1985.
"I recruited Galen out of high school," Paterno recalled. "Galen has a great, great football mind. He is great at teaching the kids and has been a real asset to our program."
Following practice, the Nittany Lions headed to Tampa's Busch Gardens. Three squad members fed some lions: Brett Brackett (Lawrenceville, N.J.), Andrew Dailey (Massillon, Ohio) and Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville).
Several Nittany Lions were captured by the Pennsylvania and Florida media riding on Sheikra, a Busch Gardens rollercoaster: Chris Colasanti (Leonard, Mich.), Eric Latimore (Middletown, Del.), Ollie Ogbu (Staten Island, N.Y.), Jonathan Stewart (Irwin) and Graham Zug (Manheim) participated.
The Penn State Outback Bowl pep rally is Friday, Dec. 31 at 3:30 p.m. at the Tampa Convention Center. Coach Paterno will be among the speakers at the rally. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and the event is free.
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 show 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.
Penn State Athletics is on Twitter (http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions).