Penn State Nittany Lions Football Push-Up Counter Bobblehead Unveiled to Celebrate College Football Playoff Berth

This morning, ahead of Penn State’s College Football Playoff Game in State College next weekend, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed Penn State Nittany Lion Push-Up Counter Bobblehead. The unique bobblehead lets fans count along with the number of push-ups the Nittany Lion does each game and is the newest addition to the series featuring over a dozen college mascots that do push-ups when their team scores. In addition, a standard Penn State Bobblehead is also being made available. The officially licensed bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of The Pennsylvania State University.

• The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in April, are $40 for the Push-Up Counter bobblehead and $35 for the standard bobblehead plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
• Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,024.
• The unique Push-Up Counter Bobblehead features a turf base and lets fans count along with the number of push-ups their mascot does each game and is part of a series featuring over a dozen college mascots that do push-ups when their team scores.
• The “Nittany” forename refers to the local Mount Nittany, which overlooks the university. While on a trip to Princeton on April 20th, 1904, Penn State senior baseball player Harrison “Joe” Mason was embarrassed that his school did not have a mascot like Princeton’s Bengal tiger, so he came up with the Nittany Lion idea, proclaiming that it would easily defeat Princeton’s mascot. During his senior year in 1907, Mason and a group of students launched “The Lemon,” Penn State’s first humor magazine. Under a pen name, and as The Lemon editor-in-chief, Mason urged his fellow Penn Staters to adopt the “Old Nittany Mountain Lion” as the school’s symbol. From there, the Nittany Lion took off.
• The Lion was prominently featured for the first time on the cover of the 1908 yearbook. The Lion’s primary means of attack against the Princeton Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes. This is now traditionally exemplified through cumulative one-armed push-ups after the football team scores a touchdown. To date, just 54 students have donned the official suit as the official mascot of Penn State, making it an exclusive group. To become the Nittany Lion, the tryout process includes an application, an in-person interview and an audition. Knocking out 50 one-armed push-ups is a requirement.
• Penn State is seeded 6th in the College Football Playoff and will host 11th-seeded SMU on Saturday, December 21st at noon in State College. The winner will head to the Fiesta Bowl to take on 3rd-seeded Boise State on December 31st in the Quarterfinals. Penn State heads into the Playoffs with an 11-2 record and is ranked 5th in the nation in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll.
• “We’re excited to unveil this unique Penn State Nittany Lion Push-Up Counter Bobblehead and a standard Penn State Bobblehead as the Nittany Lions prepare to host SMU next weekend in State College,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “These bobbleheads will be the perfect way for Penn State fans to follow along as the Nittany Lion put points on the scoreboard each week for many seasons to come and a great way for fans, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to show off their school pride all year long!”
• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.