Penn State and Notre Dame have two of the most iconic college football programs in the country.
The Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish have years of history, but haven’t met for a game in more than a decade. Thursday’s Orange Bowl will offer more memories for these programs, their fans and alumni.
Two brothers from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, plan to watch Thursday night's game together, but will be cheering for different teams close to their hearts.
“Football was always part of our lives,” Dan Glennon said.
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Dan and Joe Glennon grew up in a Notre Dame household in Delaware County. They have fond memories of playing football in their living room with their two brothers and their father, an avid fan of the Fighting Irish.
However, Joe became a fan of Penn State after being introduced to State College by a friend.
“He wound up introducing me to John Cappelletti, the Heisman Trophy winner from 1974,” Joe said.
Cappelletti signed a picture and gave it to Joe, which he still has to this day. After that, it was history, the house was divided between fans of Penn State and Notre Dame.
“It was highly disruptive to have a Penn State fan introduced into our family,” Dan said. “Dad was a huge Notre Dame fan. We were all Notre Dame fans.”
A picture of the 1992 game between the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish hangs on the wall of Dan’s house. The image brings back the memories from when Dan and Joe sat in the stands and watched Notre Dame pull of the victory.
“Notre Dame was down by one and Lou Holtz decided to go for two,” Dan said. “Rick Meyer threw it to Reggie Brooks in the corner. We were sitting in clear view of that and I will never forget that catch.”
Now, years later the brothers prepare to watch the Orange Bowl. A matchup they will remember forever.
“So many good memories,” Joe said. “Whether it was at State College or whether it was at Notre Dame.”
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