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Men in White: The Gutsy, Against-All-Odds Return of Penn State Football
An inspiring tale of teamwork and grit, Men in White tells the story of the student athletes who launched one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, rescuing a college football program gutted by scandal with a thrilling championship run.
Men in White chronicles every twist in this epic drama in the words of the young men who chose to stay and rebuild the Penn State football program in the tumultuous days, months, and years that followed the Sandusky scandal. Despite crippling NCAA sanctions, blistering heat from the outraged media, and radio silence from the adults in the school’s administration, these big - hearted kids refused to back down.
With the once-mighty program in free fall, they put their personal fortunes on the line, battling together through five will-testing seasons to rehabilitate the program and its ideals, culminating in the momentous come-from-behind victory against Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game. Their story echoes that of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a cast of young men—colossal underdogs—who boldly accepted the challenge of a lifetime, soaring to victory while shouldering the weight of a bruising political drama.
Men in White chronicles every twist in this epic drama in the words of the young men who chose to stay and rebuild the Penn State football program in the tumultuous days, months, and years that followed the Sandusky scandal. Despite crippling NCAA sanctions, blistering heat from the outraged media, and radio silence from the adults in the school’s administration, these big - hearted kids refused to back down.
With the once-mighty program in free fall, they put their personal fortunes on the line, battling together through five will-testing seasons to rehabilitate the program and its ideals, culminating in the momentous come-from-behind victory against Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game. Their story echoes that of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a cast of young men—colossal underdogs—who boldly accepted the challenge of a lifetime, soaring to victory while shouldering the weight of a bruising political drama.
- GenresSportsNonfictionFootball
496 pages, Hardcover
Published August 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 10, 2024
November 5, 2011 is a day that will forever be etched in the minds of any person connected with the Penn State football program. That was the day that a former coach, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with 40 counts of child molestation. This led to the firing of legendary coach Joe Paterno (who died shortly thereafter) and later to sanctions against the program including a $60 million fine, four years of probation from postseason play, reduced scholarships and most shocking, every player on the football team at that time could transfer to any other school without waiting a year as all other transferred players had to do.
Which leads to why this book about the 5 seasons after that announcement is so good. The first salvo fired to show that those who care about the Nittany Lions were not going to let this affect them was by two players on the team: Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich. After deciding to stay at Penn State, despite many recruiters attempting to lure them to other schools, they made an announcement on national TV stating that “This program was not built by one man. And this program sure as hell is not going to be torn down by one man.”
From there, author Chris Raymond gleans information from hundreds of interviews from people who had some kind of connection to the program. People who spoke of the progress range from two head coaches who were important to keeping the team together and then bringing it back to success (Bill O’Brien and James Franklin) to the students who were the mascot through those years. That is a big reason why I enjoyed this book so much. This was not only a story of a football team and its coaches and players – this was about the entire program and what it meant to students, alumni and the state.
That doesn’t mean there wasn’t football in the book. Many of the chapters and stories from players and coaches were about the games in those seasons between 2012 and 2016. From ensuring the team played respectable football in the first two seasons (bowl eligible both years, even if there were some difficult losses) to winning the Big Ten championship in 2016, there is enough football described to make those who love the X’s and O’s of the game. This is done through quotes by players and coaches involved. While a different way to write about games, it really works in this case because the reader can feel the emotions of the people involved.
There are also chapters on related topics such as Coach Paterno and one dedicated entirely to the students who camp out to get tickets. The dedication of the latter did not diminish during this dark period, which ended sooner than expected. George Mitchell, the senator who also oversaw the investigation into the use of steroids in baseball, updated the NCAA on the subsequent actions by the school after the sanctions were handed down and gave glowing reports on the progress. As a result, all sanctions were lifted by 2014 and that gave the program even more of a boost, capped off by the 2016 conference championship.
This review really doesn’t do justice for this book – everything about it was top notch. The writing, the honest reality of the subjects interviewed, and the storyline were all excellent. For a glimpse into just how raw the honesty was, the interview with Silas Redd, a player who did leave Penn State when there were no restrictions, his talk about his decision and reasons for leaving are as honest and emotional as any of those by the players who stayed. Just another small story in a collection that when put together is a great piece about one of the blue bloods of college football.
I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Which leads to why this book about the 5 seasons after that announcement is so good. The first salvo fired to show that those who care about the Nittany Lions were not going to let this affect them was by two players on the team: Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich. After deciding to stay at Penn State, despite many recruiters attempting to lure them to other schools, they made an announcement on national TV stating that “This program was not built by one man. And this program sure as hell is not going to be torn down by one man.”
From there, author Chris Raymond gleans information from hundreds of interviews from people who had some kind of connection to the program. People who spoke of the progress range from two head coaches who were important to keeping the team together and then bringing it back to success (Bill O’Brien and James Franklin) to the students who were the mascot through those years. That is a big reason why I enjoyed this book so much. This was not only a story of a football team and its coaches and players – this was about the entire program and what it meant to students, alumni and the state.
That doesn’t mean there wasn’t football in the book. Many of the chapters and stories from players and coaches were about the games in those seasons between 2012 and 2016. From ensuring the team played respectable football in the first two seasons (bowl eligible both years, even if there were some difficult losses) to winning the Big Ten championship in 2016, there is enough football described to make those who love the X’s and O’s of the game. This is done through quotes by players and coaches involved. While a different way to write about games, it really works in this case because the reader can feel the emotions of the people involved.
There are also chapters on related topics such as Coach Paterno and one dedicated entirely to the students who camp out to get tickets. The dedication of the latter did not diminish during this dark period, which ended sooner than expected. George Mitchell, the senator who also oversaw the investigation into the use of steroids in baseball, updated the NCAA on the subsequent actions by the school after the sanctions were handed down and gave glowing reports on the progress. As a result, all sanctions were lifted by 2014 and that gave the program even more of a boost, capped off by the 2016 conference championship.
This review really doesn’t do justice for this book – everything about it was top notch. The writing, the honest reality of the subjects interviewed, and the storyline were all excellent. For a glimpse into just how raw the honesty was, the interview with Silas Redd, a player who did leave Penn State when there were no restrictions, his talk about his decision and reasons for leaving are as honest and emotional as any of those by the players who stayed. Just another small story in a collection that when put together is a great piece about one of the blue bloods of college football.
I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
March 2, 2025
I’ve never read a book written in a format. Glad I read it!!
September 16, 2025
As a Penn State alum that was on campus during this tumultuous time, Raymond did an incredible job telling the story of the players’ perseverance and restoration of “The Roar”. I felt like I was sitting at a round table discussion with these Penn State legends.
August 21, 2024
Kudos to Chris Raymond for putting in the long hours and effort to research and tell this well-written and engaging story of an amazing group of young men determined not to let the heinous acts of one man topple the legacy of the Penn State football program.
Anyone interested in college football or Penn State remembers the Jerry Sandusky scandal which led to charges against him in 2011 and the repercussions that followed. It was a shocking, horrible and painful time for the Sandusky victims and their families, for the university, for the football program, and for the worldwide Penn State community.
With legendary head coach Joe Paterno fired and NCAA sanctions handed down that could well be a death knell to the football program, a young team of men who had been looking forward to playing football for Penn State were suddenly rudderless and faced with impossible decisions as to their individual futures. With scouts from other schools hounding all of them, questions and confusion were in abundance: who would stay; who would leave; would they even be able to field a team?
Leaders within the team stepped forward declaring that they weren't going to let anyone destroy the legacy that brought them to Penn State, and they weren't going to be a part of its dismantling. They would stay and work from within to rebuild it. Younger players agreed to stay as well, and so began the long, arduous climb to rebuild a program that would once again show the true nature of what Penn State stands for: character, honor, academics, and excellence.
The author's interviews with players, coaches, parents, university personnel, lettermen, alums and townspeople give a "you are there sense" of the social climate of the time, the conversations and thoughts of the participants, and the extreme dedication of the team to do all they can for the team and to bring honor back to the university.
If you like football, a story of an underdog, or have any affection for Penn State, you will enjoy this read!
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.
Anyone interested in college football or Penn State remembers the Jerry Sandusky scandal which led to charges against him in 2011 and the repercussions that followed. It was a shocking, horrible and painful time for the Sandusky victims and their families, for the university, for the football program, and for the worldwide Penn State community.
With legendary head coach Joe Paterno fired and NCAA sanctions handed down that could well be a death knell to the football program, a young team of men who had been looking forward to playing football for Penn State were suddenly rudderless and faced with impossible decisions as to their individual futures. With scouts from other schools hounding all of them, questions and confusion were in abundance: who would stay; who would leave; would they even be able to field a team?
Leaders within the team stepped forward declaring that they weren't going to let anyone destroy the legacy that brought them to Penn State, and they weren't going to be a part of its dismantling. They would stay and work from within to rebuild it. Younger players agreed to stay as well, and so began the long, arduous climb to rebuild a program that would once again show the true nature of what Penn State stands for: character, honor, academics, and excellence.
The author's interviews with players, coaches, parents, university personnel, lettermen, alums and townspeople give a "you are there sense" of the social climate of the time, the conversations and thoughts of the participants, and the extreme dedication of the team to do all they can for the team and to bring honor back to the university.
If you like football, a story of an underdog, or have any affection for Penn State, you will enjoy this read!
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.
December 25, 2024
A solid oral history talking about perhaps the most tumultuous period in Penn State football history. From the Saturday that the charges against Sandusky went public to Penn State clinching the Big 10 title in 2016. In between, Penn State went though 2 major coaching changes, massive NCAA penalties that later got lifted and trying to play at the highest level while dealing with major personnel shortfalls and issues. You get the perspectives of key coaches, players, school personnel and media figures. You don’t get everyone, but the perspectives you do get offer a picture of a team trying to find its way though the biggest scandal arguably in sports history.
You don’t every all the perspectives involved, but most of those here try to put things in as positive a light as possible. The voices on Paterno tend to take a most positive view of the man, but no doubt many would feel otherwise. Perhaps the most important figures are those players in 2012 and 2013. Mauti, Zordich, McGloin, Hackenburg…without those players, likely Penn State does not weather the sanctions. They are the most important figures in this drama.
For the Penn State fan, a lot is well known. However, some of the insights will be new even to the die-hard fan. For the non-Penn State fan, this might be not the greatest book of all time, but there will be good insights, especially if wondering how Penn State didn’t implode when it by all rights should have. The rating is the same regardless of format (although it would be interesting if they did get the interviewees to narrate their own words).
You don’t every all the perspectives involved, but most of those here try to put things in as positive a light as possible. The voices on Paterno tend to take a most positive view of the man, but no doubt many would feel otherwise. Perhaps the most important figures are those players in 2012 and 2013. Mauti, Zordich, McGloin, Hackenburg…without those players, likely Penn State does not weather the sanctions. They are the most important figures in this drama.
For the Penn State fan, a lot is well known. However, some of the insights will be new even to the die-hard fan. For the non-Penn State fan, this might be not the greatest book of all time, but there will be good insights, especially if wondering how Penn State didn’t implode when it by all rights should have. The rating is the same regardless of format (although it would be interesting if they did get the interviewees to narrate their own words).
May 28, 2024
Men in White is an intricate, well-told look at the athletes and coaches that helped the doomed Penn State football program rise from the ashes after the NCAA rulings essentially attempted to bury any chance the university football team had at success, after the news and ruling came out about former staff member Jerry Sandusky in 2011. This book focuses mainly on the years from 2011-2016, with flashes of occasional background details to aid with storytelling. Nobody thought this team had a chance after the sanctions were brought down on this team, but the players, coaches and staff battled through all the doubt including drastic scholarship reductions, bowl game bans, and freedom for other universities to recruit any of the current football players that were attending Penn State University with no transfer penalties.
I thought Chris Raymond did an absolutely outstanding job at weaving together hundreds, if not thousands of interviews of athletes, coaches, staff, parents, and many other interviewees. He brought together the interviews in such a way that made for fantastic storytelling.
This book was such a fast read in the best way possible. I would highly recommend this book!! Special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. Please check this book out when it is released on August 13, 2024.
August 25, 2024
Men in White is a great comeback story. After the Jerry Sandusky scandal all of Penn State's players could transfer and play at other schools right away. Most of them, though, chose to stay, and this book tells the story of those players, coaches, former players and more in a compelling fashion. I am a big Penn State football fan and follow the team very closely, but there are many stories and details I didn't know throughout the book. The book took me behind the scenes with quotes and stories from those involved that helped me to better understand why the team stayed together, and why it was so successful at a time when some thought the program might actually end.
If you are a Penn State fan, this is a must read, as it's the first book to tell the story of what it was like in the years after the scandal, and all that went into keeping the program together and winning Penn State's only Big 10 championship five years later.
If you are a Penn State fan, this is a must read, as it's the first book to tell the story of what it was like in the years after the scandal, and all that went into keeping the program together and winning Penn State's only Big 10 championship five years later.
November 14, 2024
An awesome read for PSU football fans! Even if you aren’t a PSU football fan, but a college football fan, this is a good read. Really eye-opening to see what was going on behind the scenes at PSU, post-scandal, from a football perspective. Hearing it from the people that were in the trenches of the years from 2012-2016 and how the sanctions affected the team. Many players made sacrifices for the sake of the program and university that probably hindered their potential professional careers, but decided to stick around to be a beacon of hope for the program. I enjoyed reading about the 2012 team and guys like Mauti, Zordich, and Hill because I wasn’t a fan pre-2013 when I enrolled as a freshman. Highly recommend!
May 11, 2025
This is an amazing account of the return of Penn State football from those who lived through it and made it happen. In 2012, everyone thought Penn State was done, but these amazing 18-22 year olds kept going, through horrific sanctions that you could argue were too harsh considering the student athletes and the football program itself had nothing to do with what happened. Some of these players didn’t know who Jerry Sandusky was. It was good to hear about these 5 years through their own words.
It was also good to read at the end where those players went and what they are doing. ‘Success with honor’ describes each of them.
It was also good to read at the end where those players went and what they are doing. ‘Success with honor’ describes each of them.
March 26, 2025
Easy to read. Well written.
The story of Penn State's football survival from 2012 sanctions to the 2016 Rose bowl is told through a unique format. Each chapter has one to three paragraphs of tightly written narrative on a topic followed by quotes from players, coaches, reporters, and other people relevant to the subject. Each quote sheds unique light on events in the locker room and on the field to create a full picture of how many people and how much fortitude it took to rebuild football at Penn State after the Sandusky devastation.
The story of Penn State's football survival from 2012 sanctions to the 2016 Rose bowl is told through a unique format. Each chapter has one to three paragraphs of tightly written narrative on a topic followed by quotes from players, coaches, reporters, and other people relevant to the subject. Each quote sheds unique light on events in the locker room and on the field to create a full picture of how many people and how much fortitude it took to rebuild football at Penn State after the Sandusky devastation.
January 6, 2025
This book is an absolute must-read for all Penn Staters. It is a tremendous oral history provided by the young men who saved the Penn State football program and helped to restore the pride in a university decimated by a scandal caused by one sick individual. It was a tremendous read as the Lions are preparing to play a game that would send them to the national championship game - an opportunity that seemed impossible when the sanctions came down in 2012.
January 8, 2025
I read this book in three days. For a Penn State fan, this is an interesting read about a difficult period for the football team. The oral history from many players, coaches, sportswriters and others provides an intriguing, in-depth and behind the scenes look at what happened from 2012-2016. Kudos to those players and coaches who demonstrated so much heart and honor to bring the program back after the NCAA's sanctions.
February 18, 2025
The content is riveting, especially in the early sanction years. But I wish the book had been written more like a traditional story versus the concept of the transcript that has become popular. There were many moments where it seemed like what was being said didn't fit the actual flow of the story. There also seemed to be many repetitious moments, and even a few contradictory moments. It hurt the overall flow of the book to go that route, IMO.
September 2, 2024
An incredible collection of interviews that detail the story of the coaches and players who stood with Penn State when the football program was facing extinction due to the NCAA sanctions that were handed down after the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
I was and still am a lifelong PSU fan and this is an absolute must read for fellow fans or fans of college football in general
I was and still am a lifelong PSU fan and this is an absolute must read for fellow fans or fans of college football in general
October 26, 2024
Having been a student from 2010-2014 it was interesting to relive some of the worst, best, and inspiring moments through the eyes of the team. The book is well researched and well put together depicting the very tough choices young men had to make to not just carry on the Penn State legacy but also define the character of future generations.
July 17, 2025
As a lifelong Penn State fan, this book really does an amazing job of capturing the spirit of Penn State. The player quotes give an amazing perspective of the behind the scenes of those dark days after the scandal. Reliving the 2016 season was so fun for me, and learning more about Saquon’s upbringing was eye-opening. Im biased but give this book 5 stars
March 17, 2025
A great book that every Penn State fan should read. Even though much of the topics are already known the interviews give the reader more insight on a personal level by many of the young men who refused to let the program "die".
January 5, 2025
An awesome book with so much inside unseen information!!!
March 27, 2025
WE ARE....
April 20, 2025
5.0 Stars. Must for Nittany Lion Fans.
July 31, 2025
3.5 stars
As a huge Penn State football fan, and someone who started freshman year at UP during Bill O’Brien’s first season, this book brought back memories of that time in my life. The program was expected to fade into irrelevance after the NCAA sanctions, but a resilient group led by Michael Mauti and other key players and recruits rewrote the narrative.
The book is incredibly detailed, at times slightly repetitive, and often reads more like the script of a documentary than a traditional narrative. Still, it’s a powerful recollection of a pivotal era in Penn State football history. I’d recommend it to any Penn State fan.
As a huge Penn State football fan, and someone who started freshman year at UP during Bill O’Brien’s first season, this book brought back memories of that time in my life. The program was expected to fade into irrelevance after the NCAA sanctions, but a resilient group led by Michael Mauti and other key players and recruits rewrote the narrative.
The book is incredibly detailed, at times slightly repetitive, and often reads more like the script of a documentary than a traditional narrative. Still, it’s a powerful recollection of a pivotal era in Penn State football history. I’d recommend it to any Penn State fan.
August 20, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded up
This isn’t a book about what everyone still loves to call the Penn State football scandal of 2011. The sanctions that were handed down by the NCAA as a result of that are the starting point of this book, following the football program from those sanctions for the next five years or so.
It's not a narrative but instead a series of... snippets? of interviews the author conducted with the players, coaches and staff who were there when the Sandusky mess happened, telling the story of how they pulled together and got through the next several years. As a Penn State alum, I was familiar with many of the players and their commitment to the football program, despite knowing how difficult it would be. But there was a lot of new material here as well, mostly about what these kids had to put up with in the medium, when they played games at other schools and even in their on-campus homes. It was eye-opening to say the least, but at the end of the book was a list of the players who stuck to their commitment to Penn State football. I was surprised at how many of their names I recognized from NFL rosters, but was proud of all of them, whether they played in the NFL or not.
I know it's not for everyone, but I'll recommend it to other Penn State fans – and anyone else who might be interested in the players' points of view. They went through a lot more than most 19- and 20-year-olds have ever had to deal with, and they handled it with grace and dignity.
Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This isn’t a book about what everyone still loves to call the Penn State football scandal of 2011. The sanctions that were handed down by the NCAA as a result of that are the starting point of this book, following the football program from those sanctions for the next five years or so.
It's not a narrative but instead a series of... snippets? of interviews the author conducted with the players, coaches and staff who were there when the Sandusky mess happened, telling the story of how they pulled together and got through the next several years. As a Penn State alum, I was familiar with many of the players and their commitment to the football program, despite knowing how difficult it would be. But there was a lot of new material here as well, mostly about what these kids had to put up with in the medium, when they played games at other schools and even in their on-campus homes. It was eye-opening to say the least, but at the end of the book was a list of the players who stuck to their commitment to Penn State football. I was surprised at how many of their names I recognized from NFL rosters, but was proud of all of them, whether they played in the NFL or not.
I know it's not for everyone, but I'll recommend it to other Penn State fans – and anyone else who might be interested in the players' points of view. They went through a lot more than most 19- and 20-year-olds have ever had to deal with, and they handled it with grace and dignity.
Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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