In State College, the ties that bind are more than blue and white. They stretch across generations, linking fathers and sons through the echoes of Beaver Stadium, fall Saturdays, and the shared pride of representing Penn State football. Today, Penn State football Father’s Day traditions come to life as the program celebrates its generational legacy built through family, grit, and tradition.
From the historic days of Bob Higgins to the modern emergence of LaVar Arrington II, the program has seen more than a few sons follow their fathers into the tunnel and onto the field. And for Penn State, those family stories are not just sentimental. They are foundational.
Father’s Day Tradition Runs Deep in Happy Valley
The Pittmans and Their Unbeaten Legacy
Perhaps no father and son pairing exemplifies the Nittany Lion tradition like Charlie and Tony Pittman. Charlie starred at running back from 1967 to 1969, leading undefeated squads under Joe Paterno. Decades later, Tony suited up at cornerback from 1991 to 1994 and mirrored his father’s unblemished legacy.
Together, the games they started combined for a record of 45-0-1, a staggering fact chronicled in their 2007 book, Playing for Paterno. A Father and Son’s Recollections of Playing for JoePa. The Pittmans never lost a game they started. Their record remains an unmatched bond between eras and a Father’s Day stat line few can rival.
The Suheys and Higgins Carry the First Family Legacy
No lineage runs deeper than the Higgins and Suhey family, often called the first family of Penn State football. Bob Higgins played and later coached the Nittany Lions, guiding the team through the 1930s and 1940s. His daughter, Ginger, married Steve Suhey, an All-American guard in the 1940s.
The couple’s sons — Larry, Paul, and Matt Suhey — all became lettermen in the 1970s. Matt went on to carve out a nine-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears. Matt’s son, Joe Suhey, kept the tradition alive at running back from 2007 to 2010. Five generations have connected through Penn State blue. The family’s deep ties to the university earned them the title of Penn State royalty in a Centre Daily Times feature from April 2013. Their story represents the heart of Penn State football’s Father’s Day legacy, where family names endure across generations.
LaVar Arrington II Keeps the No. 11 Legacy Alive
When LaVar Arrington terrorized Big Ten quarterbacks in the late 1990s, he became an icon in Happy Valley. This fall, his son, LaVar Arrington II, begins his own journey as a freshman linebacker. He will wear the same iconic No. 11, continuing the “Stix City” tradition at Linebacker U.
The younger Arrington committed to Penn State in July 2024, adding to a legacy built on explosiveness and elite linebacker tradition. “He wants to carve his own path, but we’ve talked about what it means to wear that number,” his father told On3. As part of the next wave in Penn State’s family-driven football legacy, Arrington II strengthens the program’s bond with its past this Father’s Day.
More Nittany Lion Families Share the Spotlight
Beyond the marquee names, Penn State’s roster features a rich mix of fathers and sons who passed down more than football technique. They passed down a purpose.
- Fran Ganter (1968–70), long-time coach and administrator, saw both sons Chris Ganter (2002–04) and Jason Ganter (2005–07) suit up in blue and white.
- Mike Guman, a bruising back in the late 1970s, watched his son Andrew Guman become an Academic All-American safety in the early 2000s.
- Tom Hull (1971–73) passed the linebacker legacy to Mike Hull, who became a cornerstone of the 2014 defense.
Even coaches see their family trees bloom inside Beaver Stadium. Terry Smith, Penn State’s associate head coach, defensive backs coach and former wideout, played in the early 1990s and helped guide his stepson Justin King to stardom in the mid 2000s.
Jay Paterno and the Ultimate Father-Son Connection
Paterno, a quarterback on the Penn State roster from 1986 to 1990, had the rare opportunity to play under his father, legend Joe Paterno. Jay served mostly as a reserve but earned a varsity letter in his senior year. More influentially, he went on to coach on his father’s staff for 17 seasons, shaping talents like Michael Robinson and Daryll Clark before entering the family business as a Penn State trustee and author. Few programs can claim such an intertwined legacy of leadership and lineage as Penn State football, especially on Father’s Day.
The Rucci Family Builds a Legacy in the Trenches
Offensive line tradition spans two generations in the Rucci family. Todd Rucci anchored Penn State’s offensive line in the early 1990s before playing eight seasons in the NFL. His son, Nolan Rucci, a redshirt senior, transferred to Penn State after beginning his career at Wisconsin. Nolan, a five-star recruit, will battle redshirt sophomore Anthony Donkoh for the starting right tackle job through camp.
The Wisniewski Family Represents Generational Grit
The Penn State lineage runs deep in the Wisniewski family. Leo Wisniewski starred as a nose tackle from 1979–81 before a brief NFL career. His brother, Steve Wisniewski, became an eight-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders after earning All‑American honors at PSU. The torch then passed to Stefen Wisniewski, a three-time Academic All‑American and 2010 first-team All‑American, later winning two Super Bowls in the NFL.
Choosing to Continue the Legacy at Penn State
Not every player comes from a Penn State bloodline, but the values of family, loyalty, and hard work remain constant. “Penn State teaches you to be a better man,” said Isaiah Humphries, a former Nittany Lion whose father, Leonard Humphries, played cornerback in the early 1990s. “My dad never pushed me to go there. I chose it because of what it stood for,” he told Blue White Illustrated in December 2017.
Gregg Garrity Jr. carried on a family tradition that traces back to one of Penn State’s most iconic moments. His father, Gregg Garrity Sr., caught the final touchdown in the Nittany Lions’ 1982 national championship win over Georgia. Decades later, Garrity Jr. earned his own spot on the roster, choosing Penn State not out of obligation, but out of pride in the name and the moment that helped define it.
A Legacy That Grows Each Year
As Penn State continues to recruit nationally and develop NFL talent, its family tree keeps expanding. Whether through bloodlines or mentorship, the program’s legacy endures.
This Father’s Day, Penn State fans can look beyond the stat sheets and toward the stories. These are tales of fathers who coached, inspired, and walked the same halls their sons have walked. In Happy Valley, football isn’t just a game. It’s a generational legacy that resonates on Father’s Day for Penn State families across the country.
Main Image: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
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