INDIANAPOLIS — He was among the first Penn State players on the podium handed the silver football that was detached from the Big Ten Championship trophy, and linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White greeted it with a kiss.
He was not chosen for this honor merely because he was standing nearby. Though Wartman-White hadn’t much to do with the Nittany Lions’ stunning victory over Wisconsin, he’d had more to do than most with the program’s long journey from ignominy to triumph.
Wartman-White was among the recruits who agreed to enroll at Penn State in the class of 2012, arriving not long after Joe Paterno had been fired and former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted and around the time the NCAA imposed sanctions on the program that included allowing veteran players to transfer out with no penalty.