the Penn State locker room smelled of celebratory cigars and smiles were plastered on the Nittany Lions’ faces. When the doors swung open just over a week later, all that hung in the air was sweat and tears.
Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton sobbed into former Nittany Lion Chop Robinson’s shoulder. Cornerback Cam Miller sat with his towel over his head, staring into space in disbelief. Running back Nick Singleton walked out frustrated, then walked back in and sat with his head in his hands.
“We play our heart out, we play hard. We play every snap like it’s our last,” defensive end Abdul Carter said. “And unfortunately, it came up short today.”
The players went around consoling and venting to each other. The coaches did the same, but none of it really mattered in the moment — all the Nittany Lions could think about and focus on in those moments was that their season was over, one win away from the national championship.
James Franklin said defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas “didn’t want to come off the field.” In the locker room, J-Thomas stood, eyes puffy and red, with his towel over his head.
“It feels awful to come so close,” J-Thomas said. “It’s just heartbreaking.”
J-Thomas said everyone in the locker room was “trying to come to terms with” the idea that their season was really over. The Nittany Lions played a program-record 16 games, and broke the school record for most wins in a season with 13, but all the players wanted was to add another to both of those tallies.
For some, such as J-Thomas, Thursday’s loss was the last time they’ll suit up in the blue and white, making the Orange Bowl outcome all the more difficult to cope with.
Warren is another player whose time in Happy Valley has come to close. The tight end, who has set record after record this season, high-fived every player sitting in Penn State’s locker room and was one of the last to finally take off his pads.
“No better way to say it then it’s just tough,” Warren said.
Regardless of the puffy eyes and stares of disbelief, the Nittany Lions showed they’re a family. Offensive lineman Drew Shelton said “this is the tightest team we’ve had since I got here,” and Carter said there’s no one else he’d rather be on the field with than the guys surrounding him.
“When you go through tough times, you go through adversity and stuff, you hang out with your family, talk to your family, and that’s what this is. We’re all family,” Center Nick Dawkins said. “We spend Christmas together, we spend Thanksgiving together, we spend Easter together … this is our family.”
According to Carter, the family aspect of the Nittany Lions is what makes their locker room so special, and Dennis-Sutton said he’s “thankful every day to play at Penn State.”
“I don’t take any of this for granted,” Dennis-Sutton said. “I would never take a snap for granted, and I’m thankful for every opportunity, because I know millions of people want to be in this opportunity.”
As Dennis-Sutton alluded to, the players had to take some time to appreciate all they accomplished this season despite their obvious disappointment in Thursday’s result. Linebacker Kobe King said he’s “proud of his guys” and all the highs and lows they experienced and overcame this season, and Franklin expressed how proud he is of his players.
“The one thing I want to make sure that all those guys walk out of that locker room with their heads high and their chest out, because they have a ton to be proud of,” Franklin said. “There’s about 128 teams that would give their right arm to have the season that we just had tonight, that we just had this year.”
Regardless, the loss stings for Penn State. The Nittany Lions won’t get a chance to earn their first national title since 1986, and that’s something they have to sit with for six months until the 2025 season begins.
“(Getting over this loss) won’t be tonight. It won’t be tomorrow,” Shelton said. “I don’t know. We’re gonna have to feel this one.”
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