Image from HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

Following last week's Sports Illustrated story, and Bill O'Brien's angry rebuttal, Penn State gets a feel-good story this week from HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

The program, which debuts at 10 p.m. Tuesday, features a profile of O'Brien, his family and the big-picture impact of Penn State's 2012 football season.

The piece, reported by Andrea Kremer, includes interviews with O'Brien and his wife Colleen, who smiles at the coach's inspiration for his fourth-down conversion attempts.

It also features former quarterback Matt McGloin, who says the team was "playing to save a university," and athletic director Dr. David Joyner, who receives credit for installing the 2012 team in Beaver Stadium's Ring of Honor.

But the most poignant moments involve Jack O'Brien, Bill and Colleen's older son who requires constant care because of a rare brain disorder known as Lissencephaly. O'Brien opens up about how Jack has inspired him.

The two stories underscore O'Brien's intensity, which Joyner summarizes by recounting a recommendation from Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Last week, O'Brien said aspects of Sports Illustrated's story critical of the football medical operations were "irresponsible, reckless and wrong." He was quite clear about his response.

"When we feel there are things out there that just aren’t accurate and just are way off base, I believe that as a University we need to argue that and not take that lying down," O'Brien said on a conference call with reporters. "And that’s the way I feel about this."

O'Brien concluded that call by saying that he had to get to younger son Michael's baseball game. He was angry, at the story, at the questions, at the implication that he might compromise his team's medical care.

In the Real Sports piece, both Jack and Michael are shown at practice. And O'Brien explains how he handles stress.

"What I use to calm myself down is," he says, "I think about Jack."

"How many more questions?" he asked the conference call's moderator.

"Six," was the response.

"Six?' O'Brien asked. "How about three."

That was prime territory for the Penn State coach's online doppelganger, the Twitter handle @evilbillobrien.

Bill O'Brien touched on a number of aspects of this week's Sports Illustrated story critical of the medical operations within the Penn State football program. He said the story was "irresponsible, reckless and wrong" and called it a "character assassination" of athletic director Dr. David Joyner.

Here's the full transcript of O'Brien's call, as provided by Penn State.

Opening Statement
“Before we get started, I have some things I want to say.  No. 1 is, I can’t talk in specific detail about personnel.  I will not talk in specific detail about personnel.  Just so we are clear on that.  But here is what I will talk about.  I was brought here to run one of college football’s finest programs at one of America’s finest universities.  I view that responsibility as very, very large; a big responsibility.  When I was hired here, I was asked to make observations on the program right away; some that took longer than others.  Some observations were right away.  Some took 14 or 15 months to make.  And then to make recommendations to my bosses, I take that responsibility very seriously.  But at the end of the day, I am a big boy and I have understood from the outset that responsibilities are mine.  At the top of that responsibility list, at the top, is taking care of this program’s players.  The student-athletes in this football program are the No. 1 priority to me.  Their health and safety is the No. 1 priority to me.  It’s not near the top.  It’s not around the top.  It’s at the top.  And for anyone to suggest or perhaps outright accuse that anyone in Penn State’s athletic program would do otherwise is irresponsible, reckless and wrong.  And you may believe I’m only sitting here addressing the media with that comment.  But I mean for anyone – anyone at Penn State, anyone in the media, anyone to state such a thing is preposterous.  In order to fulfill my role as the head football coach, I need to assemble what I feel is the right team, the right team of coaches, the right team of strength coaches, the right team of academic people, my recommendations there, the right team of administrative assistants, the right team of recruiting personnel, the right team of janitors.  These are the things that are under my responsibility as the head football coach at Penn State, and including my recommendations and observations of the medical staff.  That is part of my responsibility as the head football coach at Penn State.  And I want people to understand something here.  This does not mean that I always choose who is the most qualified or recommend who is the most qualified in a particular craft or role.  But I do, and will always recommend as it pertains to my coaching staff, who best fits into the organization and supports our direction and way of doing things.  That’s what I want to say right off the top.  Now, I’ll take questions.”

Bill, how does the level of care at Penn State compare to places that you have coached previously?
O’Brien: “It is the same, if not better, than everywhere I have been at numerous schools around the country as we speak right now.  We will have a primary care physician at every single practice.  We will have a primary care physician even in the off-season that is located right near here.  We will have an orthopedic surgeon that will be here quite a bit. They won’t be out there at every single practice, but they will be in the office, they will be in the training room.  They will be around.  They will be here all the time in some instances.  That to me is comparable or better than just about everybody in the country and everywhere I’ve been.”

Dr. Sebastianelli had been in his role for 21 years and a lot of people didn’t understand the reasoning when he was replaced back in February.  Can you shed any light on what your working relationship was with the doctor for the last year and why you decided to move forward?
O’Brien: “I believe that there was no problem with the medical care last year, 20 years ago or now.  I believe that there was no problem with the medical care.  I said that over and over again to my bosses.  Again, what I try to do is assemble the right team that believe in the same things and behave the right way that I see the way the program should be run.  I make those observations and make those recommendations.  I’m not going to get into all of the things I observed or recommended.  That is a personnel issue.  At the end of the day, what needs to be said here is that Wayne Sebastianelli is still the head of Penn State Sports Medicine.  He is in charge of Penn State Sports Medicine.  So, I’m not going to go down the road of personnel decisions or personnel observations.  That’s not to fair to anyone involved.  So, that’s my answer to that question.”

Bill, you have referenced several times over the last month about the importance of the Penn State community being unified. I’m wondering how you view this story in light of some of the broader issues not related to football that are referenced in the article?
O’Brien: “Look, I appreciate the question.  For the past 16 months that I’ve been here, along with my staff and everyone that works in this building, along with the players at Penn State, we’re just trying to do our best.  We are trying to do our best in the classroom.  We are trying to do our best in the weight room.  We are trying to do our best on the practice field.  We are trying to do our best on the game field.  That’s what we are trying to do.  We are recruiting what we think are fantastic kids.  We have fantastic guys in this program.  We’ve got a hell of a coaching staff.  We’ve got people working in this building that are the best I’ve ever been around.  And we are just trying to do the best for Penn State.  At the end of the day, I just wish people would see that and understand that.  That’s what we are trying to do.  At the end of the day, it can get frustrating.  But at the same time, I want people to understand that the No. 1 priority for myself and our staff here at Penn State are our players.  We have a deep connection with our players.  We are at 67 scholarships.  Do you think for one second that I would jeopardize the health and safety of this team with 67 scholarship players on the team? That’s preposterous.”

You have a wealth of experience at the college level being at Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke before Penn State.  But you’ve also been at the Patriots for a number of years.  I was wondering, is there a difference in the dynamic in the relationship between the head trainer and the team doctor on the NFL and college level? And is the NFL model something you would like to move closer to?
O’Brien: “I think the model that we have right now, which is really the same model that we had last year during my first year here, is appropriate for Penn State.  I believe in that model.  I believe in the model that we have right now, which we sent to Sports Illustrated.  You guys that know me and have been around me now for a year, I’m not sitting in this office trying to hide.  What we sent from Penn State, our medical synopsis to Sports Illustrated, that was not in the article.  We had our Dean of the Medical School had a significant amount of quotes.  That was not in the article.  I spent much of my time on Sunday on the phone with Sports Illustrated back and forth.  I didn’t have any quotes in that article.  To me, what that article was to me, was a character assassination on Dave Joyner.  That’s what that article was.  And it wasn’t anything other than that.  The care for our players medically is superb.”

Bill when you took the job, did you anticipate some level of undermining because of the situation that existed when you got there? And has it exceeded that?
O’Brien: “I didn’t anticipate anything.  I came into the job with significant experience, albeit no head coaching experience.  I came into the job with a lot of experience having worked for a lot of great people.  And I had just worked for the best head coach in the National Football League.  And I had worked for some fantastic college coaches.  So all I tried to do was come in here and be myself, try to observe and do what was right for the players every single day.  How could anyone anticipate being undermined?  I mean we are all trying to win football games and graduate players.  Who would undermine that?  I don’t even think in that world.  I’m not even in that realm.”

But do you feel you are being undermined?
O’Brien: “No.  I come to work everyday.  I work with our staff.  I work with our players.  I try to do the right thing for Penn State.  I guess I’m naïve.  Why would anyone undermine us? What would they want to undermine?”

Could you address the Garrett Lerner part of that story?
O’Brien: “You read the story.  Garrett Lerner obviously was burned with a stim machine.  We treated Garrett Lerner.  I believe that Garrett Lerner believes in the fact that we treated him well at Penn State.  I’m not a doctor, so I can’t get into the specifics.  I just know that Garrett Lerner is a fantastic kid that believes in the way he was treated here at Penn State.”

Bill, this is about as proactive as I can remember Penn State, the Athletic Department towards any controversy, in terms of forcefully saying stuff.  Is this a change in your view from maybe the way things had been handled?
O’Brien: “At the end of the day, I’m just a guy, along with our staff, we are just guys and women in this football program that are trying to the best for Penn State.  So, when we feel there are things out there that just aren’t accurate and just are way off base, I believe that as a University we need to argue that and not take that lying down.  And that’s the way I feel about this.  And so somebody told me to call into you guys, so I called in.  I’m here to answer questions, and that is what I have done.  I do not hire and fire doctors.  I don’t know anything about being a doctor.  I just know that I am in charge of this football program.  And I have to observe every single aspect of our football program to do what is right for our players.  That’s what I’ve done from the day I got here.  I make recommendations up the chain.”

One of the issues raised in the article is that Dr. Lynch can’t have a practice at Mt. Nittany (Medical Center), but as I understand it, it isn’t a complicated to have standing at Mt. Nittany Medical Center.  Is there any push to allow him to be able to practice there?
O’Brien: “I don’t get involved in that.  That’s not my realm.  That’s not my job description.  All I know is that Dr. Lynch or whoever we will have in place over at Mt. Nittany (Medical Center), which is three minutes away from our field, we will have people here at a moment’s notice if we need that.  The operation of our medical staff here is no different than it has ever been.”

Bill, can you comment on the reaction of your players when they heard about the article?
O’Brien: “Having been here for 16 months and having to deal with a lot of things, I give a lot of credit to our players.  I’ve said it time and time again; the main reason why I am here is our players.  I absolutely cannot state that enough.  I feel these are fantastic kids.  I feel like they do a great job focusing at the task at hand.  And right now, that is developing their own individual skill sets, their own individual strength levels, their own individual conditioning levels so that they can be the best they can be at training camp.  And also, many are taking classes so they can get ahead academically.  These players ignore the noise.  They feel to a man, they feel like they are being well taken care of in our training room.”

What in your power do you think you can do to precipitate or endorse the unity the best that you can?
O’Brien: “Look, I answered that with Genaro.  I’m not the unity coach.  I’m not the coach of unity.  I’m the football coach.  It is my job to do the best job I can for the football program as long as I am the head coach here.  I’m not the unity coach.”

What do you feel is the motivation for this?  I know you said something about a vendetta against Dr. Joyner, but what do you think…
O’Brien: “Wait a minute now, I didn’t say anything about a vendetta against Dr. Joyner.  I just read the article just like you guys did, and I felt like Dave Joyner, who is a first class individual; I think he is doing the best job he can in a very difficult situation, and I feel like his character was attacked in that article.  Don’t put words in my mouth.  Don’t put words in my mouth.  I didn’t say a word about a vendetta.”

Have you had to do much damage control with the guys you signed or are recruiting now?
O’Brien: “No.”

With the information released, it seems like Penn State compares very favorably with other Big Ten schools and top schools.  I’m just curious if you had any role in that process of reaching out to other schools to get a benchmark for their medical plans?
O’Brien: “No, I didn’t have any role in that.  I always urge Tim Bream, and I always urge our medical staff to always look for the best way of doing things.  That’s all I do.  I’m not a doctor.  I’m not in charge of the doctors.  I just urge them to always be cutting edge looking for things to help our players.”

How did the transition go to the new medical team go during spring practice?
O’Brien: “I thought it was fantastic.  I thought these guys were here.  I thought they were very receptive to our players.  I thought our players were very receptive to them.  And I think it was very, very smooth.  Our players were well taken care of, as they will be well into the future.”

Matt McGloin has said since last season ended that he wanted only an opportunity to take his shot at the NFL. The Oakland Raiders offered one this week.

After attending mini-camps with the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers, the former Penn State quarterback signed a three-year contract Wednesday with the Raiders. McGloin reports Sunday for the team's OTAs.

Agent Mark Magazu said in an email that McGloin is "truly, sincerely excited to be a member of the Raiders organization," a sentiment shared by his family.

"I spoke with his parents and their tears of joy were clear evidence that Matt's inspiring story is unfolding as it should," Magazu said.

McGloin is the fifth quarterback on the Raiders' roster, joining Matt Flynn, Terrelle Pryor, Kyle Padron and Tyler Wilson. Padron and Wilson are rookies, and it's unlikely all three rookies will make the roster.

The Raiders opened conversations with Magazu last weekend, while McGloin attended Panthers minicamp. Magazu said that 6-8 teams had "significant interest" prior to the draft.

"But the draft didn't set up favorably going into the third day for the quarterback position," Magazu said.

McGloin then took minicamp invitations from Washington and Carolina before going through a tryout with the Raiders earlier this week.

"I decided to let it go and do what I can do," McGloin told the Scranton Times-Tribune. "I wanted to throw the ball on time and make all the throws. I had to be myself. They liked what they saw, and I am looking forward to spending the next three years out here with this team."

Read more about McGloin's signing in the Times-Tribune story here.

Penn State released a statement Tuesday night refuting a Sports Illustrated story about the football team's medical operations.

The story, which will be on newsstands Wednesday, is promoted on the cover with the headline, "Do Athletics Still Have Too Much Power at Penn State?"

According to Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson, the story is critical of the "medical coverage operation" for Penn State football. Earlier this year, Penn State made changes to its athletics medical staff, with Dr. Peter Seidenberg replacing Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli as the team's head physician.

Dr. Scott Lynch, director of orthopedic sports medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, was named as the team's orthopedic consultant. Sebastianelli remained as Penn State's director of athletic medicine.

Before the story is released, Penn State issued the following statement.

Statement from Penn State on forthcoming Sports Illustrated article: 

“To characterize the medical care Penn State provides our student-athletes as anything other than the highest quality is erroneous.  Access to urgent and quality care for our athletes is no less than where it was at any point in the past 20 years. We provided Sports Illustrated with facts and data that demonstrate our commitment to our student athletes and how we compare to other peer institutions. Instead, the article sensationalizes in order to insinuate lower standards and largely ignores statements from the Dean of the College of Medicine.

Contrary to the reporter’s assertions, Dr. Sebastianelli remains the doctor in charge of the University’s entire medical program for intercollegiate athletics, including football.   Further, there has been no change in the support provided by State College-based Penn State orthopedic surgeons, including Dr. Sebastianelli.”

In addition, Penn State released the statements it provided to Sports Illustrated for the story.

Dr. Harold Paz, senior vice president for Health Affairs, Chief Executive Officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center and dean of the College of Medicine:

"As a former collegiate athlete and a fellowship-trained sports medicine physician, Dr. Scott Lynch has a tremendous understanding of the health care needs of Penn State's football team and a deep personal commitment to the well-being of its players. We have great confidence in his ability to serve as orthopedic consultant to the team. He will be in attendance at every Penn State football game and will meet weekly throughout the year with other members of the sports medicine team and injured players in State College to oversee the evaluation, treatment and recovery of our student athletes.

"In the event of an emergent medical need, our focus will be on providing the best possible care for the athlete. We have three Penn State Hershey-employed orthopedic surgeons based in State College, including Dr. Sebastianelli, that are credentialed to perform surgery at Mount Nittany Medical Center, fellowship-trained in sports medicine and can assist with care of the athlete.  One of these surgeons is on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure surgical coverage in the event of such an emergency. In rare instances of extremely complex problems that require Level I trauma care, an athlete may be transported to Penn State Hershey Medical Center.  In addition, the football team physicians will continue to report directly to Dr. Sebastianelli.  This same practice of emergency coverage in support of Penn State student-athletes has been in place for many years and will continue.”

Bill O'Brien, Head Football Coach:

“When I was hired as the Head Football Coach at Penn State, I was asked to observe areas of the football program and then make recommendations.  After observing our medical organization in the football program for a full year, I recommended that it would be in the best interests of our program, and most importantly our student-athletes, to make a change in the team physicians. Dr. Lynch and Dr. Seidenberg were identified as excellent doctors who could serve in this role.  Dr. Seidenberg will attend our practices and Dr. Lynch will be here on game day. From a coverage standpoint, we have exactly the same level of medical care as we had previously. The same surgeons as last year are available to players who would need that level of attention.  Nothing about our level or quality of athlete care has changed.  These young men mean a great deal to me and our staff.  They give their all to Penn State.  I will always recommend what I feel is best for our student-athletes in every area of the football program.” 

Dr. David Joyner, Director of Athletics:

“Care of our student-athletes is a top priority for Penn State, as it always has been. The present medical care model is very consistent with peer institutions in the Big Ten and elsewhere. The present system offers appropriate and exceptional medical care for our student-athletes.

"It's terribly unfortunate some want to make baseless accusations. We refuse to engage in a such a conversation. The vast majority of Penn Staters want the focus to be on our dedicated student-athletes, as it should be."

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Linebacker Gerald Hodges
• Linebacker Mike Mauti

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• Cornerback Stephon Morris
• Center Matt Stankiewitch

CAROLINA PANTHERS

• Fullback Michael Zordich
• Quarterback Matt McGloin

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

• Defensive tackle Jordan Hill

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

• Linebacker Pete Massaro

• Offensive lineman Mike Farrell

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

• Quarterback Matt McGloin (prior to Panthers camp)

Penn State's first summer session began Monday, and O'Brien said during the recent Coaches Caravan that he expected a significant number of football players to be enrolled. While they're on campus, the players can conduct lifting and training sessions and individual drills (quarterbacks throwing with receivers, etc.). But coaches can't be involved.

According to NCAA rules,"student-athletes and members of the coaching staff shall not engage in countable athletically related activities outside the playing season." Strength coaches are allowed to monitor workouts, and players can participate in "weight training, conditioning and the review of game film" for a maximum of eight hours per week.

During the recent Coaches Caravan, O'Brien said he did not understand the rule preventing at least some football meetings between players and coaches.

"No football coaches can be around these guys at all in the summer," O'Brien said. "There's no coaching, there's no meeting with them about football, there's nothing that a coach can sit down and meet with a player about that has to do with football in the summertime.

"The weight coaches can't even report to us that [offensive lineman] John Urschel just benched 405 [pounds]. That's illegal. So really, it's the strength coaches and the players working in the summertime trying to get better."

The interview features some interesting insights (read it here), but the section about Bill O'Brien was noteworthy.

What is your relationship with Bill O'Brien, the man who has replaced your dad?

“I met him the day after he was hired. One of the things that George W. Bush did was phenomenal for an ex-president. He didn't weigh in on everything. Coaching's hard enough. If they feel they want me to come do something [I will].”

“Everybody gets excited by a new guy, but you've got to temper it a little bit. Unfortunately, the expectations can overwhelm kids.

“The league was down. The league is going to be better. Urban Meyer changes the whole dynamic. Urban really loved my dad. He came to the memorial service. [Steve] Spurrier came.

“When they fired Joe, I think they [the university] were going to make it very tough for themselves to go out and get some of the head coaches they were going to get. There was a lot of, like, ‘You fired Joe? What chance do I have?'”

Here's where Penn State stands in the meaningless rankings.

247Sports.com

• 1. Texas
• 2. Texas A&M
• 3. Tennessee
• 4. Florida
• 5. LSU
• 7. Michigan
• 13. Ohio State
• 15. Penn State

Scout.com

• 1. Texas A&M
• 2. Notre Dame
• 3. Texas
• 4. LSU
• 5. Tennessee
• 8. Ohio State
• 9. Michigan
• 13. Penn State

Rivals.com

• 1. Texas
• 2. Texas A&M
• 3. Tennessee
• 4. Florida
• 5. Notre Dame
• 8. Michigan
• 13. Ohio State
• 14. Penn State

 ESPN

• 1. Texas
• 2. Tennessee
• 3. Texas Tech
• 4. Louisville
• 5. Texas A&M
• 13. Michigan
• 18. Ohio State
• 19. Penn State

Four-star safety Marcus Allen and three-star linebacker Jared Wangler both announced their oral commitments on Twitter. The two additions bring Penn State's class to nine, leaving six slots in the 2014 15-player recruiting class.

Allen will add "depth and versatility" to the defensive backfield, according to Lions247.com. He's 6-1, 180 pounds and plays at Dr. Henry Wise in Upper Marlboro, Md. O'Brien noted during the Coaches Caravan stops in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. that the region will remain a recruiting target for Penn State, even with the addition of Maryland to the Big Ten.

Allen s the second defensive back to commit and had more than 30 offers from schools nationwide. Former Penn State receiver Bobby Engram was recruiting Allen at Pitt, and former Penn State assistant coach Kermit Buggs was recruiting him at Connecticut.

Here's a look at Allen's junior-year highlights.

Wangler, Warren, Mich., committed to Penn State during a visit, according to Lions247. He had offers from Michigan State and several MAC schools. The 6-2, 215-pounder made 76 tackles last season and said he has run a 4.56 40-yard dash.

Here's a look at Wangler's film.

The former Penn State quarterback told the Scranton Times-Tribune (read it here) and the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (read it here) that he hopes to find a spot on the Panthers' roster behind Cam Newton.

“I really like Carolina and I’ve been in touch with them for awhile, so it’s really a good fit for me,” McGloin told the Times Leader at the Penn State Coaches Caravan stop Wednesday. "I did it last weekend, so I understand how they work. Might have a step ahead of other guys that they bring in."

McGloin attended Redskins camp as an invitee but has not been offered a contract. Last week, agent Mark Magazu said that McGloin had received a free-agent contract offer from an unnamed team following the NFL draft but chose to attend Redskins camp instead. At the time, Magazu called the strategy a "gamble" but one he thought was wise.

Carolina has three quarterbacks signed in addition to Newton: nine-year veteran Derek Anderson, four-year veteran Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame and rookie Colby Cameron from Louisiana Tech.

"I am a lot more comfortable now," McGloin told the Times-Tribune on Wednesday. "I felt really great in the workouts and I have the unique situation where I am coming into the Carolina camp having already gone through a camp. I know what to expect now. I know how to throw to different receivers."

In other NFL news, the Indianapolis Colts traded former Penn State center A.Q. Shipley to the Baltimore Ravens.

Among Bill O'Brien's primary goals for his Coaches Caravan, which visited New York and Scranton on Wednesday, has been to sell tickets. His pitch has been passionate.

"If we fill that stadium, that's going to help our athletic department and all of other sports with money," O'Brien said Tuesday during the Caravan stop in Breinigsville.

Today's story in the Morning Call (read it here) focused on the football team's importance to Penn State's overall athletic budget. It's certainly clear: Football generated 61 percent of the athletic department's total revenue for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Penn State's most recent financial report (view it here) features plenty of interesting numbers. Here are just a few.

Other numbers:

GENERAL REVENUE

• TV/RADIO RIGHTS: $25 million
• ROYALTIES, ADVERTISING, LICENSING AND SPONSORSHIPS: $4,444,416
• ENDOWMENT AND INVESTMENT INCOME: $4,396,491

REVENUE BY TEAM

• MEN'S BASKETBALL: $9,612,002
• WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: $811,031
• WRESTLING: $829,921
• WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: $758,672
• MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: $238,356

EXPENSES

SCHOLARSHIPS

• FOOTBALL: $3,692,638
• MEN'S BASKETBALL: $551,147
• WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: $525,581
• WRESTLING: $351,620

COACHES SALARIES (includes salaries for current and former football staffs).

• MEN'S TEAMS HEAD COACHES: $7,708,436
• WOMEN'S TEAMS HEAD COACHES: $2,194,017

FOOTBALL SEVERANCE PAYMENTS: $956,330

RECRUITING EXPENSES

• FOOTBALL: $443,022
• MEN'S BASKETBALL: $322,306
• WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: $147,868

TEAM TRAVEL

• FOOTBALL: $2,095,637
• MEN'S BASKETBALL: $684,139
• WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: $837,940

In 2012, as he recovered from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his senior season, Breneman started a campaign for ALS research inspired by Kirchhoff's words, "We will win."

Adam Breneman and Devon Rodriguez-Cayro with actor Kevin Spacey.

Initially, Breneman hoped to raise $20,000 through his "Catch the Cure" campaign. Since last fall, "Catch the Cure" has raised nearly $200,000 for Project ALS.

Breneman's effort drew nationwide support, and on Sunday he was recognized for his work at the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Washington, D.C. Breneman, 18, and 14-year-old Devon Rodriguez-Cayro of Mechanicsburg were honored for their service along with 100 other youth volunteers from across the country.

At the banquet, Breneman and Rodriguez-Cayro received $1,000 awards and congratulations from actor Kevin Spacey and Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recognizes young people for outstanding volunteer service and seeks to motivate others to serve. Since it began in 1995, the program has recognized more than 100,000 volunteers.

Breneman's campaign was inspired. He created a website, spoke to football teams and civic organizations and had a Cedar Cliff High game declared "Catch the Cure" night.

Kirchhoff had a tremendous career at Lafayette and was inducted into the Maroon Club Hall of Fame last fall. He was the 1992 Patriot League player of the year, throwing for 26 touchdowns and leading the Leopards to a league title. Kirchhoff was a semifinalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished his career with 6,709 yards passing, third in school history.

Kirchhoff, who has four children and continues to work, has made "We Will Win" the theme of his fight against ALS. There's a compelling video of Kirchhoff af Breneman's site, www.catch-the-cure.com.

Check it out, and continue to donate.

Seven of the football players who graduated have 2013 eligibility, including John Urschel. The offensive lineman has a 4.0 GPA at Penn State and completed his Master's degree in mathematics in four years.

Other football players who graduated in four years were offensive linemen Nate Cadogan and Adam Gress; defensive backs Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong; and linebacker Glenn Carson.

According to an NCAA study last fall, Penn State athletics had an 88 percent graduation rate, compared to the 80-percent national rate for student-athletes from 2002-03 to 2005-06. 

A three-star cornerback, according to Scout.com, is 5-10, 170 pounds from Coatesville High. He also had offers from Georgia Tech and Pitt. He is the first defensive back of the recruiting class, which includes two wide receivers and two players listed as "athletes."

Here's some of Worley's high school film.

The Penn State coach said he expects the Big Ten to continue to grow past its current roster of 14 teams. The conference recently announced its latest realignment, which will split the Big Ten into East and West divisions.

Penn State will be in the East, along with Maryland, Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana.

"I’m of the opinion that expansion is not over," O'Brien told reporters prior to the Coaches Caravan stop in Baltimore. "I believe that the college landscape is going to continually change, maybe not year to year but every few years. I think the expansion of the Big Ten will continue."

O'Brien is familiar with the Baltimore area, having coached at Maryland from 2003-04. He said the area remains a strong for recruiting, citing the 11 players from Maryland on Penn State's roster.

Watch a clip of O'Brien's press conference, courtesy of Tony Mancuso of the Penn State sports information staff.

Quarterback Matt McGloin turned down one team's free-agent contract offer to to attend Washington Redskins mini-camp this weekend, his agent said Tuesday.

Evan Habeeb/US Presswire

Acknowledging the "gamble," McGloin and his agent called this the right opportunity.

Mark Magazu, McGloin's agent and president of Atlas Strategies, said in a statement that McGloin chose the Redskins "because he admires the organization and the way they develop quarterbacks in that system."

In addition to Robert Griffin III, the Redskins' roster includes quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Rex Grossman and Pat White, formerly of West Virginia. Magazu said McGloin received a free-agent contract from one unnamed team and invitations to eight mini-camps.

The agent added that McGloin "respectfully declined" the contract offer.

"Matt was grateful for the offer, but the team had clearly established quarterbacks at all levels which would have made pathways difficult for Matt to catch on,” Magazu. “It was a gamble, but we think a wise one. Our goal is to help Matt find opportunities that provide clear and plausible pathways for success with an NFL team.”

Penn State coach Bill O'Brien praised McGloin at Tuesday's Coaches Caravan in Reading, saying he expected the quarterback to "find a spot and have a chance to compete."

"He deserves a shot, and that’s all he’s asking for," O'Brien said. "I'm glad Washington coach [Mike] Shanahan is giving him a shot."

If he doesn't receive a roster invite, McGloin plans to attend a camp next week with another team.

"For the next few days, I’m a Washington Redskin," McGloin said. "And right now my mission is to prove that I can contribute and hopefully be a Redskin next week, then next month, and fight to earn a spot on the team for the season. This is what I’ve fought my entire life to earn, and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Rick Spielman, the Minnesota Vikings general manager, said he pestered his training staff "8,000 times" with one question about Mike Mauti.

"Is this guy healthy?"

Mauti, who sustained three torn ACLs during his college career, slipped to the seventh round of the NFL draft. But Spielman said his training staff is "100 percent" confident about Mauti's health and future. What's more, the GM said that if any team could care for Mauti's playing career, it's his.

And he pointed to running back Adrian Peterson and linebacker Chad Greenway as examples.

Peterson returned from a torn ACL in 2011 to rush for a career-high 2,097 yards last season. Greenway sustained a torn ACL in the first preseason game of his rookie year in 2006. Since then, he has missed just two starts in six seasons and has made 144 or more tackles in each of the last three.

"I would match our medical staff and rehab program against anyone in the NFL," Spielman told reporters in Minneapolis. "... They know what they're doing and know how to rehab guys and get them on the field as quickly as they can."

Still, Spielman acknowledged that Mauti is a risk, since he sustained three ACL injuries. But the GM called Mauti's latest surgery, performed by Dr. James Bradley of the Pittsburgh Steelers, "excellent" and said he expects the linebacker to be ready for training camp.

Ultimately, Mauti's upside made him worth the draft pick.

"He was too good of a football player, too good of a leader, with too good a character to pass up," Spielman said.

The VIkings will test Mauti at middle linebacker, though former Penn State teammate Gerald Hodges might get a look there as well. Minnesota also drafted Hodges in the fourth round, which seemed fitting: Hodges wore Mauti's No. 42 after his teammate was injured last season.

"I think it should be illegal for me and Mauti to be on the same team again but hey I don't make the rules we just abide by them!!!!" Hodges said on his Twitter account.

Spielman called Hodges a "very unique athlete" with position flexibility. Hodges could play either outside linebacker spot, and Spielman noted how Hodges began his career at Penn State at safety. The Vikings might even look at Hodges at inside linebacker. There's one position he probably won't play, though.

"[Penn State] even tried him at punt returner," Spielman said, "but I don't think that worked out very well."

Here's a breakdown of Penn State's draft and free-agency results so far.

THIRD ROUND

• JORDAN HILL:Seattle Seahawks

FOURTH ROUND

• GERALD HODGES: Minnesota Vikings

SEVENTH ROUND

• MIKE MAUTI: Minnesota Vikings

FREE AGENCY

• MIKE FARRELL:Pittsburgh Steelers
• STEPHON MORRIS: New England Patriots
• MATT STANKIEWITCH: New England Patriots
• MICHAEL ZORDICH: Carolina Panthers

One more note: The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted former Penn State receiver Justin Brown in the sixth round. Brown, who transferred to Oklahoma, was named all-Big 12 honorable mention after catching 73 passes for 879 yards and five touchdowns.

Richardson, who went 20-5 as Penn State's quarterback in 1995-96, will begin in June. He will oversee a group of more than 1,500 former players and also will serve as the liaison between Penn State football and the State College Quarterback Club. Fran Ganter, who retired last month, previously served in that role.

Richardson earned as Master's from Penn State in 2003 and previously had served as an academic counselor. Richardson has worked in the athletic departments at Georgia and North Carolina over the past five years.

Steven Bench committed to, and stayed with, the Penn State football team during crisis. Steven Bench Sr. said his son loved the program and the school, "bad weather and all."

But after head coach Bill O'Brien and Bench met Tuesday, the sophomore quarterback decided he had to leave Penn State to play. According to Bench's father, O'Brien told the quarterback that Tyler Ferguson and incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg have a higher "upside" for the future.

Surely, it wasn't an easy conversation. O'Brien has spoken glowingly of Bench, who decommitted from Rice to take a swing at Penn State's offense.

"His dream always has been to play at the biggest school that would let him play," Bench Sr. said. "He was living the dream."

But Penn State's reality is quite different now. "Only one quarterback can play at a time, in my opinion," O'Brien said after the Blue-White Game. Further, only two can get quality first-team snaps. And the team can carry only 65 scholarship players beginning in 2014.

O'Brien then chose two prospects who haven't played a down of Division I college football but apparently have more "upside." Ferguson threw for more than 2,000 yards last year at the College of the Sequoias in California and initially committed to Houston. He arrived at Penn State in January and shared first-team reps with Bench during spring drills.

Hackenberg, a senior at Fork Union Academy, was among the most recruited quarterbacks in the nation last year. Tom Luginbill, ESPN college football analyst, had Hackenberg ranked as the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country.

USA Today

"Most notably, he has some physical tools you can't coach, that are inherent and allow the coaching staff to really maximize what they want the offense to be," Luginbill said before Signing Day. "He's a better athlete than people think. He can make all the throws and has a natural, smooth delivery that you can't coach. He can get rid of the ball under duress. With what they're asking of him, it's the perfect marriage of skillset and offensive identity."

Further, Luginbill pointed to a moment in which Hackenberg impressed him during a camp last year. The quarterback walked into a huddle that Luginbill said was in "disarray" and stopped it. He grabbed players, moved them to the right spots and lined everyone properly before calling the play and breaking the huddle.

"That might seem like nothing to most people," Luginbill said, "but to me that was a sign of some leadership. It was a sign of saying, 'Hey, this is how we run this thing.'"

Evidently, O'Brien and his staff see the same qualities in Hackenberg. Bench deserves credit for the way he handled everything at Penn State, including his departure.

Now, however, the future belongs to Ferguson and Hackenberg.

Chris Godwin, a four-start recruit by 247Sports and the top-ranked player in Delaware, committed to Penn State on Tuesday. He joins DeAndre Thompkins and Troy Apke in a class that already includes four players listed as receiver/athlete. The class also includes running back Mark Allen, who committed last fall.

Godwin is a speedster with a body type closer to Allen Robinson's (6-3, 197 pounds). He scored 17 touchdowns last season at Middletown High and has tested highly at the various camps and combines over the past year.

The three receivers land at different points on the scale, proving that O'Brien does not typecast his skill players. Thompkins is listed at 6-0, 170 pounds, while Apke is listed at 6-1, 187. O'Brien likes tight ends who bring differing skill sets to the position. That appears true at receiver as well.

Though Penn State will be limited to awarding 15 scholarships in 2014, that number likely will be lower, since the cap of 65 scholarship players will go into effect as well. It's interesting, then, that four of the first six commitments are skill players.

Maybe that's just a matter of timing; the receivers want to get in before the skill scholarships are gone. But it's also part of O'Brien's strategy. Last year's class included two receivers and four defensive backs, which new defensive coordinator John Butler last year called a three-alarm need.

It will be interesting to see how O'Brien assimilates all his offensive skill players. One thing we know he likes is mixing guys in formations.

In the meantime, here's some footage of Godwin, courtesy of 247Sports. Note the size/speed combination.

At one point following Saturday's Blue-White Game, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien asked, "Is anybody here in a good mood?" Clearly, the coach was. Which might not last long.

O'Brien files out-and-back to Chicago on Monday to attend what he called a Big Ten meeting regarding NCAA recruiting rules.

"That will be fun," the coach joked. "I'm really looking forward to that."

After that, O'Brien will spend about two weeks evaluating every minute of spring-practice footage, then meeting individually with every player on Penn State's roster. Players last year said that, in those meetings, O'Brien was brutally honest about their roles with the team. In one, of course, O'Brien discussed the starting quarterback role with Matt McGloin.

Evidently, a similar discussion will wait this year. O'Brien and several players called the quarterback competition a virtual tie following spring drills, and the coach did not allow quarterbacks Tyler Ferguson and Steven Bench to discuss it themselves. 

Penn State also called it a "coach's decision" not to allow quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher to discuss the position. That was a curious decision, since Fisher capably downplayed McGloin's advantage at last year's spring game.

Anything to read into there? Perhaps. Of incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg, O'Brien said, "We'll integrate him right in there," though he added that getting quality reps for three quarterbacks in preseason camp would be difficult.

The guess here is that Hackenberg will get serious consideration in August. If Hackenberg gives Penn State the best chance to win, O'Brien will start him. The coach needs that offense to remain high-profile and help win games, especially with the sanctions going full swing in 2014.

Elsewhere from the Blue-White Game:

O'Brien continued to speak calmly about the kicking game in general and Sam Ficken in particular. The kicker missed a 37-yard field goal, albeit into a howling wind and with a substitute holder in punter Alex Butterworth. Safety Ryan Keiser likely will be the starting holder in the fall.

"I believe the kicking game is better," O'Brien said. "... It's all about the operations, the snap and the hold. It's a lot more than just the kicker. I have known that Sam Ficken is a good kicker since the Wisconsin game. I have confidence in him."

Center Ty Howle won the Red Worrell Award as the team's most improved offensive player. Guard John Urschelsaid he considers Howle among the team's best linemen.

"When I got here, I thought Ty was the best offensive lineman of the seven of us [in his recruiting class]," Urschel said. "Honestly, he's a strong, tough football player, has good fundamentals and plays on his feet. This guy isn't exactly blessed with great intangibles like Donovan [Smith], but he gets the job done."

Linebacker Glenn Carson is a third-year starter, and Mike Hull is "one of the best football players on our team," O'Brien said. That leaves one starting spot, which likely will be reserved for Nyeem Wartman.

The redshirt freshman played quite a lot Saturday, turning in the game's most memorable defensive play. Wartman read and sealed a screen pass to back Deron Thompson, showing an ability to react and move through traffic. Defensive coordinatorJohn Butler called Wartman a "very instinctive" player who simply needs experience.

"He's going to be one of the guys who count on, but he needs a lot of reps and a lot of seasoning and more battle time," Butler said.

These shirts became sought-after last year, when Penn State strength coach Craig Fitzgerald wore them

Photo courtesy Harvey Levine/Fight on State

(and took them off) during pre-game warmups at Beaver Stadium and beyond.

Now, the 'Iron Lion' shirts are on sale to the public to benefit Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes. The shirts are $50, with proceeds supporting research and awareness of rare diseases.

Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $700,000 over the last 10 years for the Kidney Cancer Association. Chapters of Uplifting Athletes across the country benefit several rare diseases, including Cystic Fibrosis, Osteosarcoma and Apraxia.

To check out the shirt, visit here.

McGloin's first segment went live recently. In it, McGloin reads the letter he wrote to NFL teams asking for a chance.

"My entire life has been defined by the words, 'you'll never make it,'" he begins.

Here's McGloin's first installment of "Dream Chasers" 

Zach Zwinak gained a good chunk of his 1,000 rushing yards last season after contact.

Evan Habeeb/US Presswire

This spring he's forced to avoid contact, and a byproduct has been learning to run more elusively.

Head coach Bill O'Brien said last week that, because his team faces the 65-scholarship limit starting next season, he has made injury prevention a high priority. O'Brien has limited tackling to one day per week, usually Friday or Saturday, and told players to avoid going to the ground unnecessarily. Read more about it here.

Some players (linemen, for example) haven't been too affected. But for a player like Zwinak, who thrives on barreling through tackles, it has been an adjustment. He has made a determined effort to avoid running into linemen or "blatantly running into somebody when you have the open field in front of you."

"The biggest difference is that it hurts less," Zwinak said of spring drills. "We're using every opportunity to play fast and still learn without a lot of contact."

Zwinak was a workhorse late last season, carrying 107 times for 589 yards over the last four games. He has returned as the No. 1 back, though Akeel Lynch and junior Bill Belton will press for playing time. Lynch, in particular, is a runner to watch: The 6-foot, 214-pound redshirt freshman has a power frame and agile style.

But Zwinak, who weighs 234 pounds and got stronger in the offseason, has worked within the confines of the reduced-contact spring. Going against type hasn't been easy. "When we play football, we want to hit," he said.

In the meantime, Zwinak has taken the opportunity to study different styles of running.

"Bill [Belton] and Akeel [Lynch] are more agile and have more of a shifty running style," Zwinak said Wednesday. "But I'm learning. They're helping me out. Watching them teaches me a lot about avoiding people."

Apke, a 6-1 receiver from Mt. Lebanon, became the fourth player to make an oral commitment to Penn State's 2014 recruiting class.

"It was the right fit for him," Steve Apke told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (read it here). "Would I have liked to see him go to Pitt? Sure. But you can only go to one school, and he picked Penn State. I'm excited for him."

According to his Lions247 profile, Apke also had offers from Pitt, Georgia Tech and Kentucky. Apke caught 54 passes, 13 for touchdowns, for Mt. Lebanon last season.

Here's a look at some highlights from Apke's junior season.