Penn State Football Makes Pair Of Surprise Scholarship Announcements
Surprise scholarship announcements just might be the most wholesome thing that exists in college sports, and Penn State football provided its fans with a double-dose of those on Saturday.
The first surprise of the day was for offensive lineman Hunter Kelly, and the announcement was made by the always-intense James Franklin.
"HUNTER, YOU'RE ON SCHOLARSHIP!"
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) April 6, 2019
Congratulations, @_hunterkelly_! (We think Dad & Mom are pretty excited, too.) #WeAre pic.twitter.com/u68Kx6MhQ6
Kelly, a redshirt junior from the same high school and hometown as Franklin, hasn’t appeared in a game for the Nittany Lions, but he did earn Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2017. Dan Kelly, the lineman’s father, was inside Holuba Hall to witness the surprise announcement, and he also got to see his son get mobbed by his teammates in celebration. His mom, Dawn, was moved to tears when she heard the news via FaceTime.
Beaver Stadium music man PJ Mullen congratulated Kelly on earning a scholarship and shared some insight into the type of person he is on Twitter.
.@_hunterkelly_ + his fam are some of the best people I’ve ever met. This kid is way more than
— PJ Mullen (@PJMullen_) April 6, 2019. He acts, has
/
shows, A+ student and most importantly gives his mom, dad & little sis a hug/kiss before every game.
As Harry Kalas would say, “Hunter Kelly, you ARE the man.” https://t.co/Dvq2qiygnI
shows, A+ student and most importantly gives his mom, dad & little sis a hug/kiss before every game.Later, wide receiver Isaac Lutz was the recipient of his own scholarship surprise. He first got the news from starting middle linebacker Jan Johnson in a post-practice huddle.
Lutz is also a redshirt junior, and he’s made 13 appearances for Penn State. He made two tackles in 12 games played during the 2018 season, and he’s a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. The Berks Catholic High School alumnus from Reading, PA was also mobbed by his teammates before getting a big hug from James Franklin and embracing his parents.
As the cliché goes, “[Surprise scholarship announcements] are like London buses. You wait ages, then two come along at the same time!” Penn State’s last one of these took place before the start of the 2018 season. Charlie Shuman got the news from James Franklin and a family that’s benefitted from the charity Shuman created.
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