Penn State’s LaVar Arrington Returned To Happy Valley Like Most Dads, Rounder And Grayer

LaVar Arrington and I have quite a bit in common. We’re both former linebackers, though one of us had more success in the A gap than the other. Each of us are employed by Fox, though one would assume our salaries differ quite a bit. And we’re both fathers in our 40s that now appear softer, wider and grayer than we were in our primes.

*Well, LaVar's prime. I didn't really have one, aside from that one year in high school when I scored a pair of Doc Martens.

This was apparent when Arrington returned to Happy Valley early Saturday as a guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay.

He of the ‘LaVar Leap’ and countless other freakishly athletic and terrifying plays during his Penn State days, appears to have turned in his leg pads for a La-Z-Boy. Arrington’s gone from being a Redskin and a Giant to a Silver Fox.

Glad to see we’re in the same boat, LaVar. Brothers in arms.

It’s been 19 years since Arrington last took a snap, which seems absurd. I swear he was running across my Madden screen like a month ago under the combined coaching arm of Joe Gibbs and I. Then again, the last time I picked up a set of sticks, they were still wired and seemingly only 9 inches long, requiring my nose to be within a sniff of the TV screen. So, maybe it’s been more than a month.

LaVar Arrington Won The Butkus Award In 1999

All that to say, LaVar appears to have kissed the gym goodbye around the same time he did the NFL. And hey, good for him. I’ve done the same, but with tens of millions of dollars less. And nevermind that Silver Fox comment. On second glance, that thing fits in perfectly for Saturday evening’s Whiteout when the Nittany Lions host Oregon. 

Make no mistake, he’s still an absolute monster, even if that midsection appears to be noticeably softer than it was when Arrington was roaming the Penn State sideline. Broccoli-haired teens would be referring to Arrington as "Him" (my God, it’s even cringe for me to type such a thing) if he played during the TikTok/Instagram/X era.  

Instead, they’ll have to hunt for highlights while Arrington (and me) search for looser pants. 

Follow along on X @OhioAF or email me: anthony.farris@outkick.com