In their first trip to Seattle in over 100 years, Penn State was more than confident to grab a win. But they almost evaporated their 28-3 halftime lead as the offense got shut down in the second half. The faint echo of “Not again!” for the Nittany Lions almost rang, as it did with Wisconsin and then Michigan. But just then, their defense, which has been stepping up with each game, showed up big time. 

The team ultimately won 28-25 over the University of Washington. But maybe there was much more to it than what met the eye.

Penn State fans waiting to hear their legend and color analyst Jack Ham’s voice over the Penn State Sports Network radio learned that the icon had a medical emergency as he was getting off one of the team buses ahead of the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers legend, who shaped the Steel Curtain in the 70s, was taken to the nearby University Washington Medical Center. 

More information was not available at the time. But after the win, head coach Matt Campbell shed more light on the situation.

“It was a gut-wrenching day for Penn State football. With Jack Ham, obviously a tough situation since we got off the bus here. First of all, we should know Steve Jones, and the heroic effort that he did for one of his man, somebody he loves dearly. And if it’s not for Steve, and what he did, I don’t know if we would’ve had as good news as we do right now.

“I want you all to know Jack is in stable condition right now.”

After the game, Ham’s radio partner Jones, Campbell, and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft went to check on Ham leaving the Penn State Sports Network postgame show.

“You could tell (Campbell) was emotional,” safety Jamison Patton said. “We prayed for (Ham), and I think his recovery is in our prayers for sure.”

Interestingly, that’s not the only way Campbell was able to keep Ham in everyone’s prayers today.

Players reveal how the Nittany Lions won

As I said, Penn State almost gave up its entire strong lead before its defense shut down the opponents. But their pregame message echoed through the group. The Nittany Lions were huddling up for their pregame prayer when Campbell broke the unfortunate news to his players. With that, was a message well communicated.

“(Campbell) just lit a fire under us to go out there to play for (Ham), but to play for us as well,” quarterback Rocco Becht said. “I think we had so much confidence going into this game, and that just sparked it up a little bit more.

“That guy is a tremendous guy for the program in general, what he’s been able to do here at Penn State and what he was able to do in the NFL. That guy means the world to all of us.”

After winning their second straight game on Saturday, cornerback Audavion Collins also said that they “wanted to get this win for Jack Ham.”

“Man, I think the victory shows that his spirit was with us, and man, he was playing through us,” safety Jamison Patton said. “We’re happy that he’s healthy and doing better in a stable condition.”

“What I was really proud of our football team, and we talked about [it] a little bit before we went out to the game, just the courage of our kids to play with what Jack Ham means to Penn State football,” Campbell added. “How that guy played the game, how that guy still to this day serves our football program.

“It was awesome to be able to go win the football game for him and his family. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with him on a full recovery.”

The 77-year-old, however, once represented exactly what the Steelers and their Steel Curtain meant

The Pittsburgh Steelers legend has been calling the games on radio for Penn State since 2000. Ham, of course, is otherwise celebrated in Pittsburgh history, where he played for 12 seasons.

He was one of the fastest players on the Steelers’ defense and did not adhere to the brash style of defensive play that was the norm at the time. Yet, he was known as ‘The Hammer.’ Ham made the Pro Bowl eight consecutive times and won four Super Bowls with the Steelers.

He finished his career with 32 total interceptions, which is the second-most among linebackers in the Super Bowl era, per The Athletic. He has also recorded 53 turnovers, the most by a linebacker in history. He also had 25 sacks, per The Athletic (sacks were not an official stat until 1982, right about the time Ham wrapped up his career).

Quietly, Jack Ham made plays that helped the Steelers on their great runs in those days. One instance dates back to 1975, according to former Pittsburgh Steelers defender Andy Russell.

Ham always had a different personality

The Steelers were playing the San Diego Chargers, and the duo was on the sidelines talking about Ham’s involvement with the coal business. The Chargers then marked an interception, and Ham was sent off to try and stop their drive.

“The first play the Chargers ran was a sweep to the right,” Russell wrote, per the Steelers’ official website. “Bad idea. Ham took their giant tight end, threw him aside, speared the runner behind the line of scrimmage causing him to fumble, which of course Jack recovered. As he slowly walked off the field, he casually flipped the ball to the ref. Returning to our position on the sideline, Jack turned to me smiling and said, ‘Where was I?'”

Another instance goes far back to when he was drafted.

When Jack Ham first met Art Rooney, a day after he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the then-personnel department head thought he was a bellhop. You see, Rooney had scouted the linebacker and was really high on the player who literally turned the Penn State Nittany Lions into Linebacker U, but he had never met him in person. So, when he saw the 6-ft-1, about 225-pound player in a black jacket, knocking on his hotel room, he simply surmised.

Despite wooing everyone on the team, though, Ham was seldom revered by fans as, say, teammate Jack Lambert. Nor was he as feared by his opponents. He did not mock his opponents; his comments to the press were often bland, and he didn’t even have a sack dance. He just stepped in at the right place at the right time and simply made his moves. Lore has it he never missed a tackle.

Moments like that made Ham such an important figure in Pittsburgh history, and that of Penn State, his alma mater.

Here’s wishing the heroic player a speedy recovery.