Penn Staters "Took to the Turf" in Superbowl XL

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks took to the field for Super Bowl XL, they were counting on the unique contributions of recent graduates of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. And, while they weren't blocking or tackling, these Penn Staters have important roles for both teams.

The head groundskeeper for the Seahawks is a graduate of the College's turfgrass programs, as are three of the grounds crew for the Steelers' Heinz Field. A Penn Stater is also on the National Football League's Super Bowl Turf Team, responsible for the playing surfaces for the game and for each team's practice facility.

According to Andy McNitt, assistant professor of turfgrass science, having so many Penn Staters in on the Super Bowl action isn't unusual: as home to one of the country's top turf science and management programs, the university has alumni working with numerous professional football and baseball franchises, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers.

Penn State turfgrass program grads occupy some of the most prestigious jobs in the turfgrass industry, including positions as superintendents at 15 (including the top four) of Golf Digest's top 25 U.S. golf courses. Penn State is an acknowledged world leader in the development of improved turfgrass varieties and other products, and Penn State-bred turfgrass varieties are used on 90 percent of all golf courses around the world. In recent years, the university has applied its turf expertise to more rugged sports.