“We wrote a letter to (Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics) Sandy Barbour and Coach Franklin. The THON logo sticker was once again featured on the helmets during the 2019 season in a game against the Buffalo Bulls. Through an initiative taken with Shuman, Scott and quarterback Trace McSorley ’18, Penn State football decided to make a change to the players’ iconic uniforms with the addition of the THON logo on the team helmets for a game with the Wisconsin Badgers in November of that year. It’s cool to have a teammate down there, a guy you spend so much time with.”īefore he graduated in December of 2018, Shuman helped make one more THON-related impact at Penn State. So, I’d joke with him a little bit and rip on him to see if he could do some things better than I did. It was my second time and his first time. “Obviously, when we danced together I had gone through it once before. Still today, we talk about that experience of dancing together,” Shuman said. The dance floor experience was made that much better for Shuman, knowing a teammate would be right there beside him for the 46 hours. Photo courtesy of Charlie ShumanĪhead of THON 2018, team members also sent over words of encouragement to Nick Scott ’19, Shuman’s teammate who was preparing to dance at THON for the first time. The entire week leading up to THON in 20, Shuman said Franklin, the staff and other players were constantly checking in on him to send messages of encouragement. He and the staff were just tremendous with their support.” Take a day off or two here and there if you need to.’ And at the same time, he still wanted me to be around the (Lasch) Building when I could and still be a part of the workouts. “We’re going through the middle of winter workouts during THON, so some of our toughest offseason workouts. “He was incredible with (his support),” Shuman said. There wasn’t any hesitation in Franklin’s support for Shuman. Not that he needed permission from Franklin and the other coaches in order to dance, but Shuman wanted to make sure the Penn State staff were cool with his involvement with THON and the rearranged schedule that came with it. That group of people that were my dancing partners, it’s something that will carry with me for the rest of my life.”īecause the annual dance marathon takes place during winter workouts, Shuman had to coordinate his involvement as a dancer with his responsibilities as a football player. “You take away the memories you had with the other dancers that were down on the floor with you, spending 46 hours with. It’s indescribable to people that are outside of Penn State that don’t really know what THON is,” Shuman said. “Being down on the dance floor is just absolutely incredible. In 2017, he finally realized the dream, representing SAAB on the dance floor with fellow members Carly Celkos (field hockey), Jessica O’Neill-Lyublinsky (women’s fencing) and Megan Schafer (women’s soccer). He first got involved with the organization his freshman year at University Park, joining the Penn State Student Athlete Advisory Board’s (SAAB) THON committee, later serving as the committee’s fundraising chair.Īs his role grew with the THON committee, so too did that desire to become a dancer. Shuman’s other Penn State dream was to dance at THON, the world’s largest student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. “To put on the Penn State uniform, run through that tunnel to 107,000 screaming fans cheering for you, it’s special.” Photo courtesy of Charlie Shuman “Running out of the tunnel at Beaver Stadium on gameday for the first time, that was a dream come true for me,” Shuman said. Originally committed to Old Dominion, the 6-foot-8 offensive lineman elected to instead join the Nittany Lions as a walk-on, becoming a part of James Franklin’s first recruiting class in 2014. It was always Shuman’s dream to play football at Penn State. “They’re two different things, but at the same time they both bring these emotions out of you,” Shuman said. He danced in THON not once, but twice as a student in 20. He played for coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions from 2014-18. Letterman Charlie Shuman ’18, ’19g is one of the few Penn Staters to have experienced both. Likewise, it doesn’t get much better than running through the stone-surrounded tunnel of Beaver Stadium and onto the field with 107,000 fans cheering you on. As far as the Penn State experience goes, it’s hard to top getting the opportunity to dance at Penn State THON for 46 hours.
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