Only Pat Zerbe Until Penn State Football

Pat Zerbe walked on to the Penn State football team in 2009 and was buried on the depth chart by a number of fullbacks. He played in just one game through three seasons at Penn State. He took a normal red shirt during his freshman season, then two years later had a season-ending injury in preseason camp.

His patience paid off in 2012 when he became a regular on the field, blocking in front of fellow fullback-turned-tailback Zack Zwinak. He returned for his final season in 2013 and while he did not touch the ball, was always around it. His lead blocking and pass protection, along with coverage on the kickoff team, made it a regular occurrence to see number 35 getting up from the turf following a major impact.

His block on the game-winning touchdown versus Michigan during the four-overtime marathon in 2013 will always be remembered. He didn’t just pick up the game-sealing block, he was also the first over to pick up Belton following the play.