When I left school and entered Lock Haven I did not know how that was gonna turn out. “It was kind of a pleasant surprise to me coming from a small school in central Pennsylvania. “It certainly was one of the highlights of my life,” Klinger said. He has very fond memories of his time at Lock Haven. This includes the 1965 squad that made it to the PSAC Championship Game. Klinger, a three-time All-PSAC 1st Team running back, got to be a part of some teams that did a ton of winning. The unique nature of an event like the Gridiron Greats induction is that it brings so many former players together with very different experiences at Lock Haven. But now that I’m on the other side I will support them in any way I can.” “If it wouldn’t have been for Lock Haven, there’s no way I would’ve been able to have my career,” McBryan said. Now that he is no longer coaching, he’s committed to helping the program that got his football coaching career started on the right track to where it can compete at the highest level in the conference. He was an assistant coach at nearby Bloomsburg for 24 years, mostly recently serving as the Offensive Line Coach/Offensive Coordinator before his retirement after the 2016 season, and is heavily involved with the Gray Eagles. Following his playing career, he made his mark in coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels. McBryan was a three-year starter and four-year letterman for LHU. “Look at the number of Division II schools in Pennsylvania. “You take other states, like the Dakotas or Kansas or wherever there might be only three or four Division II schools in the entire state,” McBryan said. That can make all the difference in the world in a conference that boasts extreme depth and has a history of producing NFL talent. It ideally also gives the Bald Eagles more funds to help get on a more-even playing field with the rest of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in terms of available scholarship dollars, as that often is the difference between a player choosing a different PSAC institution over Lock Haven. A connection to the past can surely help current Lock Haven players become further aware of who’s footsteps they’re following when they suit up at Hubert Jack Stadium on Saturdays.
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