After what looked to be a promising career on the field for Penn State, Adam Breneman’s football career is over as a result of chronic knee injuries. Breneman played in 11 games for the Penn State football team and amassed 15 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns while suiting up for the Nittany Lions in as a true freshman in 2013.
Breneman recentley graduated from Penn State in December in three years with a degree in business management and a 3.25 GPA.
“I know that it was a difficult for Adam to step away from the game, but he felt it was the right time,” Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin said in a statement. “We are so proud of his work in the classroom, having earned his degree in three years. Adam is a special young man that has left his imprint on not only the Penn State football program, but the Penn State community at large.”
The legacy the former Under Armour All-American will leave behind at Penn State will not be based on his acumen on the field, but for what the tight end did for the Nittany Lions off the field.
A member of the highly-touted 2012 recruiting class along with Christian Hackenberg, Breneman and company stuck with the football program when the team was levied sanctions as a result of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The 2012 class and their unity brought together a university as well as kept the program afloat in it’s darkest hours.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever supported me during my career. Thank you to Coach Joe Paterno for first offering me a scholarship. Thank you to Coach Bill O’Brien for believing in me and constantly wanting the best for me. Thank you to Coach Franklin for supporting me and being there during the difficult times,” Breneman wrote in an open letter release on PennLive.com.
The Cedar Cliff High School graduate served on the executive board of Uplifting Athletes and helped raise more than $1 million for kidney cancer research. Breneman was also a member Penn State’s Athletic Directors Leadership Institute under the direction of athletic director Sandy Barbour.
While in high school, Breneman created “Catch The Cure for ALS” a fundraiser that raised over $200,000 for Project ALS.
“He has been a difference maker at a very young age and has a bright future ahead of him,” Franklin stated.
Breneman will be pursuing professional opportunities in business or politics in the upcoming spring.
“Thank you, Penn State. I will bleed blue and white forever and ever. I love you, Dear Old State, and I will forever be indebted to you.” Breneman said.
