‘Just so blessed’: Terry Smith shares deeply emotional reaction to 1st win as Penn State head coach

UNIVERSITY PARK — Terry Smith continually referenced a “storm” his Penn State team was in the middle of over the past two months.

The Nittany Lions had lost six straight games, seen coach James Franklin fired and lost starting quarterback Drew Allar to injury. Five of those six losses came by one possession. The Lions simply couldn’t put it all together at once.

But Saturday, as a dominant run game and effective pass rush quieted Michigan State, Penn State escaped its skid. The Lions won 28-10 and celebrated accordingly.

Smith, earning his first win as the interim head coach, was bathed in Gatorade. Offensive linemen hoisted him on their shoulders. Captain center Nick Dawkins presented him with a game ball in the postgame locker room.

Penn State finally broke through.

And over the next 48 hours or so, the storm turned from a metaphor for the Lions’ struggles to one for the wave of congratulatory messages Smith received.

“I have two phones. Each phone had about 500 text messages on it, plus direct messages was like another 500 or 600, so it was really busy,” Smith said when asked about the reception after his first victory. “I’ve been reached out to by basically every person I’ve ever known in my entire life. People are super proud of me. It’s very humbling for me.”

That’s where his voice trailed off.

He tucked his head into his chest to try and fight back tears.

Smith, a Penn State lifer, struggled to find the words to describe his current position.

“I apologize. It’s just humbling to sit in this seat,” he said. “There are so many people in my life that speak life into me. And they all reached out to me.”

Smith took a moment, wiped his eyes with a tissue and collected himself. Then he delivered a statement that powerfully encapsulated what this opportunity means to him.

“I’m just so blessed. God has been so good to me through everything in my life. I have an opportunity to be the head coach of Penn State,” Smith said, his voice breaking again. “I don’t think anything has made me or my family happier than this opportunity. I’m thankful for all my friends, my family, my supporters.

“Saturday was, I can’t even tell you how it felt. I’ve never been lifted off the field in my career. It’s just a great moment. I’m sorry. I apologize.”

Smith wiped his eyes once more. Then he was asked why Penn State, specifically, is so important to him and why the chance to be the Lions’ coach has led to the emotions he showed Monday.

Smith is a Penn State letterman, a former captain as a wide receiver and a product of a Penn State family through and through. He continually has expressed his pride and love for the university.

Thus, his next answer was a quick, easy and emphatic one.

“My dad graduated in ‘68. It’s all we know. I’m from a small town called Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

“It’s not a very nice place,” Smith said. “My dad, through his education at Penn State, moved us to the other side of Pittsburgh, to Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He gave us a better life because of his education here. And it taught our entire family about possibilities in life. You can be whatever you want to be.

“This place has done so much for me and my family. We have nine or 10 family members that have Penn State degrees. I have three family members that are students now. This place is special. It’s amazing. I just want to give back to it. Just want to make sure I’m holding up my end of the bargain and putting out a team that everyone can be proud of.”

When asked on multiple occasions since he took over as interim coach on Oct. 12, Smith has said repeatedly that he’d consider any opportunity to remain at Penn State in the future. That might be as the full-time head coach, as an on-field assistant or in an off-field role such as a general manager.

His ringing endorsement of the university seemed to make things quite clear that he isn’t ready to walk away. However, Smith confirmed Monday that he has not had formal conversations with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft about the head-coaching position.

“The way I see it is, my interview is every day as I’m operating in this seat,” he said.

Smith continues to pass that interview with flying colors, no matter how legitimate his candidacy might be. For a team that was picked to win the Big Ten, potentially a national title contender and ranked No. 2 entering the season, a six-game losing streak could have been a backbreaker.

But Smith has found a way to keep this roster motivated, and it resulted in the euphoric victory that was the Michigan State game.

Asked about the buy-in from this veteran group, Smith gave a specific example that he said “speaks volumes” about the state of the locker room.

He said an older player, one he chose not to name, has an upcoming family event on the weekend of Dec. 5.

Penn State’s regular season will be over. And, barring wins against Nebraska and Rutgers to reach bowl eligibility, the Lions’ season could be over. But this player asked if Penn State would have practice on those days, hoping to avoid a conflict with the family event.

He spoke in absolutes, Smith said, approaching the conversation by saying “when” the Lions win their final two games and not “if.”

“The buy-in has been awesome,” Smith said. “He’s already speaking that he’s going to play when we’re in a time of opt out. We’re in a time where guys can easily walk away.”

Smith was referencing the many players each year who leave rosters or choose to not play in bowls to prepare for the NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal, among several other reasons.

“This is one of our veteran guys that, if I said his name, you’d be like, ‘Whoa,’ ” Smith said.

“These guys are dialed in. They’re playing their hearts out. There is no dissension. There are no guys looking the other way. They got their first taste of victory in a long time. They enjoyed it. And they want to experience it again.”

And they’re fighting to do so because of the work Smith has done as the interim head coach.