Only Nate Stupar Until Penn State Football

Sorry, Dominic Salomone, but you're going to have to give way to one of my favorite Nits in recent memory.

Nate Stupar was, for all intents and purposes, a pretty ho-hum linebacker in the annals of Penn State, even among his contemporaries. He wasn't an All-American, like Michael Mauti, a sure-fire NFL star, like Navorro Bowman, an all-conference standout like Sean Lee and Gerald Hodges, or even someone who held down a spot in the starting lineup for two or three years, like a Josh Hull or a Glenn Carson. But what Stupar had was something few Lions could ever match--an intensity and a passion and a balls-to-the-wall attitude that resulted in a handful of blocked punts and sacks and interceptions and forced fumbles that were just simply so much more fun because it was Nate Stupar making the play. To watch Nate play was to remember why we watch sports, especially college sports, especially college football.

Anyway, Stupe was drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 draft by Oakland, and he's bounced around practice squads since then, from the Raiders to the Eagles and now to San Francisco. Here's to hoping he winds up next to Bowman at some point next season.

Oh, and also, my junior year I had a class with Nate Stupar. At the end of the semester we had to do presentations, and I can't remember what his was about, but I'm pretty sure he spent the last half hour signing stuff for other kids in the class. Nice guy, Nate Stupar.