It appears former Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark is heading northwest to Canada.
↵↵↵According to reports out of Youngstown, Ohio, Daryll Clark, who ended his career last fall as the Nittany Lions’ career leader in touchdown passes, and also set single-season records for passing yardage and touchdowns, has signed a contract with the Calgary Stampeders, who just happen to be coached by another former Penn State signal-caller, John Hufnagel.
↵Clark was passed over in the NFL draft, despite a strong collegiate career capped by engineering a game-winning drive over Louisiana State in the Capital One Bowl, but worked out for the Washington Redskins.
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Though Clark failed to latch on in D.C. off the bat, according to the article, the Redskins would like to see him get some professional experience, likely meaning the club remains interested in Clark's progress.
↵It looks like Clark has found a nice spot for himself where he can get better in the CFL and maybe get a job as a backup down the road in the NFL. Either way, though, he'll be a Penn State favorite for years to come when he visits Happy Valley.
↵Whiteout Stuff
↵Jared Shanker of Pennlive.com suggests the reason Penn State isn't holding a Whitehouse this year is because of the lack of a worthy opponent, something the Freep is calling "bulletin board material" for Michigan and Michigan State.
↵↵↵The Penn State Athletic Department is making the right move by refusing to designate any of the 2010 home games as a "White House" game. A quick glance at the schedule and it becomes clear there isn't a team worthy of earning the distinction of the "White House" opponent. Before Rich Rodriguez took over the Michigan program, it would have been an easy choice to promote a "White House" for the night game against the Wolverines on Oct. 30. But with the Wolverines struggling mightily (8-16 since 2008), Penn State would really be stretching the boundaries of what should be considered a "White House" game.
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Whoa, folks.
↵The first victim of the Whitehouse was Notre Dame in 2007. That Irish team went 3-9. Next was Illinois in 2008, a squad that finished 5-7. Last year, of course, Iowa finished 11-2, but if there's a theme here, it's not that the quality of the opponent isn't as big a deal to Penn State as what's going to look good.
↵And what isn't going to look good, whether Michigan had gone 0-12 or 12-0 in 2009, is a Whiteout with deer hunting outfits and blue sweatshirts dotting the stadium on a chilly October night.
↵That's why all three Whitehouse games have been scheduled in September to this point. The weather is more likely to be functional for fans of all ages (not just the students, who would dress in white on the Arctic Circle) when the weather is still relatively warm. A full stadium of white looks better on the TV screens of impressionable young high school seniors than the spotty colors a Michigan Whitehouse in 2010 would have. It's that simple.
↵If media types want to hype up the "respect" factor that comes with the Whitehouse, that's fine, but like many things, it's just not accurate.