Matt Campbell is Perfectly Buying Into Penn State's History

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Penn State football history is perhaps the biggest part of the program. Penn State, from top to bottom, has done a lot of good throughout its existence. The program has been among the top in college football year in and year out, and that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon, given how much money the school is allocating to the program.

One important thing Penn State needed to do throughout the coaching cycle was bring in a guy who not only understood that history and those expectations, but also wanted to embrace them. 

There were certainly times when it felt like James Franklin tried to embrace them, but not in the same way new head coach Matt Campbell is. Campbell is getting people involved who haven't been with the program in quite some time, and it's really made a big impact on the fan base, at least the diehards. 

Campbell has also been very outspoken about understanding the tradition that comes with coaching at Penn State, speaking about it again ahead of his first game as the Nittany Lions' head coach.

“I just feel like to me, coming in here, understanding that (history) is the superpower of Penn State,” Campbell said, per The Daily Collegian. “These are the people with their blood, their sweat, their tears, their time, their effort. They built this opportunity for us to be able to grow forward.”

“I think from my end of it, it means the world to me to understand our history, to understand our past and to make sure our young men in our program understand the history and past of Penn State football,” Campbell said.

There's a standard that comes with playing at Penn State, and I'm glad that Campbell isn't trying to run away from that. Instead of suggesting Penn State is just another Big Ten team that can win a National Title year in and year out, he expects his players to act a certain way, win with class, and handle whatever comes their way. 

It's really cool to hear him talk about this stuff, and part of the reason why the fan base has been so in love with him to start.

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