Maybe it was the lights. Maybe it was the cheering fans. Maybe it was the sweet feeling of victory.
Whatever the reason, Patrick Foley wasn’t ready to give up those glory days on the football field.
So after playing four solid seasons for the Father Judge High School football squad, the tight end — and longtime Penn State football fanatic — continued his career with the Nittany Lions.
He no longer was sprinting up and down the field, but Foley still was getting up close and personal with the intensity of the game he loves.
"I’ve been working in the video-editing department here for about four years now," said Foley, who recently was promoted to head video coordinator for Penn State football. "I still wanted to be in football and gave this a try. I instantly enjoyed it from the first day. I never planned to do this, but it worked out really well."
After bidding farewell to his beloved Crusaders, the 2004 Father Judge graduate enrolled at Penn State University to study telecommunications.
Soon after, his high school football coach and mentor, Tom Coyle, helped Foley score an opportunity to work as a student manager in the video-editing department for Penn State football.
"He knew one of our assistant coaches up here," said Foley. "That really got me in the door."
The department’s main responsibility is to edit film from team practices for the coaches. The staff also edits game tapes. Those tapes are exchanged with opponents; the video-editing department breaks down the opponent’s tapes as well.
"I’m enjoying it," said Foley. "It’s hectic and can be very time-consuming, but I like the work."
After getting acclimated to his new duties as a student manager, it didn’t take long for Foley to work his way up.
John Palmgren, former head video coordinator, retired last year after more than 40 years with the department, providing Foley with an opportunity to land an assistant’s position. Palmgren’s successor left the coordinator job after a year and Foley was given the chance to call the shots.
Now, four years after entering the biz, Foley is running the show. The 22-year-old started his new position on July 1, just in time to get ready for the upcoming football season.
"Even though it’s the offseason, there’s still a lot going on," he explained. "The coaches will want film for the season. So we’re constantly editing "cut-ups," which is putting together all the running plays from a couple games, or whatever they are focusing on."
The editing pros are starting to prepare for the frenzy that football season will soon deliver. The team also holds a few spring practices, which are a sneak peek of what’s to come.
"Once the season starts, we work seven days a week without a day off," said Foley. "We start August 1 and work straight through to Thanksgiving. It’s kind of hard to explain — you don’t have an option. There’s no such thing as a sick day, you just drink a lot of coffee and get it done. Plus it’s a bit different with college, because we have to worry about classes."
Foley, who graduated from Penn State in the spring with a degree in telecommunications, is officially done with life in the classroom. But that hasn’t stopped him from being a big part of the Penn State University lifestyle.
After all, he’s been cheering them on for his entire life.
"I’ve always been a Penn State fan," he said proudly. "I’ve always loved watching them play.
"Football has always been my number-one sport," he added. "In high school, I played basketball and baseball for Judge, but football was my favorite."
Foley, a tight end at Judge, never played football after his days with the Crusaders. But those four years were enough to teach him some valuable qualities, both on and off the field.
"As far as being a player, you understand the workload, so when you actually start working in the game, the workload doesn’t change," said Foley. "You know what to expect and you know what they want. And you know that they want it now, because it’s football.
"I’m glad to still be involved with the game," he continued. "We interact with the coaches and players on a daily basis. We’re a pretty close-knit group, because we’re around each other all the time. But we all get along great.
"I’m really enjoying my time here. I know that my future is at Penn State." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com