Wvw Swimmers Off To Fast Start, Trounce Hazleton

Advertising Employee Is Times Leader's '94 Best

Tuesday, December 13, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 9C 





Author on Penn State football will sign book &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ken Denlinger, author of ``For the Glory: College Football Dreams and &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Realities Inside Paterno's Program,'' will sign copies of his book
todayWhere: Tudor Book Store, Summit Square, 100 Lackwanna Trail, Clarks
Summit, 586-9595; and Tudor Book Store, 651 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, 288-9697 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When: Clarks Summit -- 3:30-4:30 p.m.; Kingston, 7-8 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By JOE BUTKIEWICZ &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You're only allotted so many good ideas in your life," said Ken Denlinger,
an award-winning sports columnist for the Washington Post. One from
Denlinger's quota came out of a think session with a book editor at St.
Martin's Press in New York. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Why don't we follow a college football team all through their career?" was
the thought. For Denlinger, there was only one team to follow: the Nittany
Lions of his alma mater, Penn State. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The result is "For the Glory: College Football Dreams and Realities Inside
Paterno's Program," which follows the 28 players in the recruiting class --
plus a walk-on -- through freshman year to the Class of 1992. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lions fans who want something to read before the Rose Bowl have a chance to
buy a signed copy, and meet the author, when Denlinger visits the Tudor Book
Shops today. Denlinger will be at the Tudor in Clarks Summit from 3:30 to 4:30
p.m. and in Kingston from 7 to 8 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although Denlinger had known Penn State coach Joe Paterno personally since
the early 1960s -- and professionally since he began working at the Post in
1966 -- a request for complete access to the football program was a tall
order. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I guess the negotiating took 15 seconds," recalled Denlinger. "He said
come on up." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The author said he was "unfathomably lucky" considering the random year he
began his research had such diverse recruits. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I had no clue about who the kids were (and) I think that what made it
tolerable is that Joe (Paterno) recruits good kids. There's not one of them I
wouldn't invite into, not only my home, but my family," said Denlinger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While the book follows the entire squad, Denlinger eventually concentrated
on five players: Rudy Glocker, Tony Sacca, O.J. McDuffie, Dennie Bunch and
Eric Renkey. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And although he was a graduate of Penn State and a sports writer for over
20 years, Denlinger learned a few things about Division I college football. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The biggest surprise for me was how frighteningly dangerous big-time
football is. Half the kids suffered injuries that required some kind of
surgery," said Denlinger, who said another surprise was the amount of alcohol
consumed by players during freshman and sophomore years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Most people have an idea that Joe's kids wander around after practice,
talking about 15th century poetry." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Denlinger wrote the book while working full time f

Author On Penn State Football Will Sign Book 
Ken Denlinger, Author Of ``for The Glory: College Football Dreams And 
Realities Inside Paterno's Program,'' Will Sign Copies Of His Book Today.

Author On Penn State Football Will Sign Book Ken Denlinger, Author Of ``for The Glory: College Football Dreams And Realities Inside Paterno's Program,'' Will Sign Copies Of His Book Today.