[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE INDUCTION OF SHANE CONLAN INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL 
                              HALL OF FAME

  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I wish to recognize former Penn State 
linebacker Shane Conlan for being named to the College Football Hall of 
Fame Class of 2014.
  On the night of January 2, 1987, more than 52 million Americans were 
introduced to Shane Patrick Conlan, then the 22-year-old cocaptain of 
the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions. This was the brightest 
of spotlights--the bowl game between No. 2 Penn State and No. 1 Miami 
still remains the most viewed college football game of all time and 
Conlan's performance was worthy of the stage. Despite an injured knee 
and a twisted ankle, Conlan intercepted his Heisman Trophy-winning 
opponent two times, returning one for 40 yards to set up Penn State's 
game-winning touchdown. This National Championship victory against a 
highly favored opponent and the accompanying defensive most valuable 
player award would be crowning achievements in a storied college 
career.
  Mr. Conlan's origins are much more modest than that memorable night 
in the desert of Arizona. This son of a State policeman and a grocery 
store clerk grew up in a western New York town that was too small for 
even a stoplight. The relative obscurity of Frewsburg almost hid the 
young Conlan's athletic prowess. Even though he was named Western New 
York Player of the Year in 1981, Mr. Conlan only had one scholarship 
offer waiting for him when he graduated high school: Penn State.
  In State College Mr. Conlan would evolve from a 6'3", 185 pound, 
mild-mannered freshman to become one of the most significant 
contributors to Penn State's cherished legacy as ``Linebacker U.'' A 4-
year letterman, 3-year starter, and first-team All-American, Mr. Conlan 
helped lead a football team that would go 23-to-1 over his final 2 
years. In a lasting display of the reverence for Mr. Conlan in Happy 
Valley, several star linebackers at his alma mater have since donned 
his No. 31 as a tribute to his success and leadership, while he wore 
the blue and white. This October 25 his university and fans honored Mr. 
Conlan once again with a mid game salute by a sold-out crowd of 107,895 
at Beaver Stadium.
  After graduation from Penn State with a degree in administration of 
justice, success would follow Mr. Conlan to the National Football 
League. There he would be named Defensive Rookie of the Year and earn 
three trips to the Pro Bowl during a 9-year career. Today, Mr. Conlan 
resides in the Pittsburgh area with his wife Caroline and their four 
children: Patrick, Christopher, Mary Katherine, and Daniel.
  I am privileged to have the opportunity and the venue to offer 
congratulations to this adopted son of my State and thank him for his 
significant contributions to college football, the Penn State 
University community, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I wish him 
all the best as he is inducted as a member of the College Football Hall 
of Fame this December. Thank you.

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