Ex-Penn State football LB Matt Rhule: ‘Penn State will always be a special place to me’

With Big Ten Media Days behind us, there is time to reflect on what other coaches had to say about the Penn State football program. One of those coaches includes ex-Nittany Lion linebacker and current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. During his portion of media availability, he spoke fondly of Happy Valley, James Franklin, and Pat Kraft.

Matt Rhule graduated from the State College Area High School and was a walk-on linebacker for the Penn State football team. He played for Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions from 1994-1997. He was recognized as a 1997 Academic All-Big Ten honoree during his time in Happy Valley.

Following his playing career he took his career path into coaching football. Most notably in his coaching career, he has brought Temple and Baylor back from dark days in each program’s history. In 2024, he enters year two of a similar task with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

On Wednesday, Joe Smeltzer of Nittany Sports Now asked Matt Rhule about what Happy Valley means to him.

“…Penn State will always be a special place to me, right? It’s where Julie and I met, we just had our 25th wedding anniversary. We were silly kids who didn’t know anything. I’m grateful to James [Franklin] and the job that he’s done at my alma mater.”

Rhule defends James Franklin and calls Pat Kraft his ‘best friend’

Syndication: Hanover Evening Sun

While currently, Matt Rhule is a technical foe of the Penn State football team as he looks to lead Nebraska to the top of the Big Ten. He still holds a lot of respect for James Franklin the program he’s built at Penn State.

“Sometimes it’s ridiculous, I hear people give him [James Franklin] a hard time.  I mean, Penn State has been a nationally relevant program year in and year out. And he’s going to have them in the playoffs probably year in and year out.

“Pat Kraft is their AD he’s one of my best friends, we went through war together at Temple. So, it would be fun to go back there. But you know what was really fun? Was beating Penn State in 2015. It was really fun to see all my Penn State friends and tell them to keep their heads up their guys played hard..”

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