Penn State's Anthony Zettel shows pride of Nittany Lion through father's death

Published Sep. 29, 2015 11:17 a.m. ET

Sam Gardner

It may have come as a surprise to some that Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel decided to suit up and play in the Nittany Lions' 37-21 win over San Diego State on Saturday, one day after his father Terry's death at the age of 46 following a 19-month battle with cancer.

However, for those who know the Zettels well -- and for those who watched as Anthony found motivation in Terry's recovery from a diving accident during Anthony's sophomore year of high school -- the question was never whether Zettel would take the field, but how dominant he'd be once he did.

"Terry was one of those guys who was a fighter," said Andrew Pratley, Zettel's football coach at Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Mich. "He proved that his whole life, and he wouldn't have wanted his kids doing anything other than what they would do. So I was actually really surprised that people would question him wanting to play.

"It's what his dad would have wanted and he would have been pretty upset if Anthony had not played," Pratley added of Zettel's performance, which included a team-high seven tackles and a fumble recovery, earning him co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. "So it was great to see him be able to play and have the kind of game that he's capable of."

The Zettels' first brush with tragedy came in August 2008, when Terry fractured three vertebrae in his neck after diving from a boat into shallow water. Terry was told he'd likely never walk or breathe again on his own, and initially, he was paralyzed from the neck down. Slowly, and to the surprise of doctors, Terry began to recover, with wiggling toes turning to staggering steps turning to 60 percent mobility over the course of that fall.

At the time, Anthony's brother, Kyle, and his sister, Jenna, were both off to college, and his younger brother, Easton, had not yet been born. So there were times when Anthony felt alone with his emotions. But he always had football -- he'd just been named to the varsity team -- to both keep him distracted and keep him focused.

"It was obviously a tough time for him," said Pratley, now the head coach at Holland High School, near Grand Rapids. "He wasn't sure if (Terry) was going to make it or not or what he might be like after treatment. So to be able to persevere and play and keep up with his grades and do all the things that kids sometimes can't do on their own -- let alone in that kind of situation -- it showed a lot about his character and his strength at a young age."

And while Anthony struggled to find his footing early on the field, his play improved in step with his father's condition.

"He was expected to do a lot of things, and he struggled in a couple games early," Pratley said. "And it just sort of felt like it was him thinking about his dad and thinking about what's going to come. But once he started to see progress from his dad and the fight that his dad had to beat the odds, to be able to walk and talk and do all those things that they told him he couldn't do, he felt like he had no excuses not to work his tail off and do everything that he could do, because he had such an inspiration right in front of him."

Terry's recovery in 2008 also helped Anthony feel more comfortable being himself again. Today, Anthony Zettel is known as the kind of guy who might tackle a random tree just for fun and that's always kind of been his M.O. Pratley described Zettel as "the kind of kid you don't dare to dare things to" because you know he'll actually do them -- he's not unlike Terry in that way -- but in the immediate aftermath of Terry's accident, Anthony seemed to lose a bit of the vigor and spirit that made him who he is.

"He became a lot more mellow," Pratley said. "There were a lot of unknowns, which I think anyone would expect. But he actually told a story yesterday at the memorial service about his dad, that the first thing his dad was able to point out was that he had a big pimple on his face. So even when his dad was first learning to communicate after the accident, he was making jokes about Anthony.

"That was just the kind of relationship they always had and Anthony has always had the type of persona where the melancholy part didn't really last long. As soon as his dad was back on the path to being normal again, it was OK for him to be that way, too."

Anthony Zettel recovers a fumble against San Diego State.

Soon enough, Anthony became Anthony again and Terry was once again Terry, continuing to operate the family's diner, Mac's Place. It was at the restaurant, in front of more than 100 friends and family members, that Anthony announced his decision to attend Penn State over Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa, and for the last five years, the Zettels have regularly made the nine-hour drive to State College to watch Anthony play.

"With the passion that the whole family has for football, it was a really cool experience to be able to find a home at Penn State when he finally decided to go there," Pratley said. "They were extremely proud of what he had accomplished, even up to the last few months with him being named captain as a senior and the expectations coming into this year. Terry's always been proud of what his kids have accomplished, but especially this past year with all the things Anthony was able to do at Penn State, on the field and off."

The Zettels made the drive once again on Saturday, too, to be there for Anthony before the whole family returned to Michigan together for Sunday's memorial service. Then on Sunday night, in the Ogemaw Heights football stadium, family and friends remembered Terry with stories of his bravery, his love and his passion for life, with "Eye of the Tiger" the soundtrack for the evening.

For a fighter like Terry, nothing less would do, and now the Zettels will move forward, as inspired by their late father and husband in death as they were throughout his fights.

Earlier this year, Terry was able to see Kyle graduate with a master's degree from the University of Minnesota and just last month, he was able to walk Jenna down the aisle at her wedding. He made it to Philadelphia for Penn State's season opener against Temple, and he was Anthony's biggest fan until the very end. And if Terry was watching from above on Saturday -- which he no doubt was -- there's no question he loved that his son was battling through the pain, just like dad showed him.

"Their dad's always been proud of his kids," Pratley said of Anthony and his siblings. "But they always strive to make him proud, and that's never going to change, regardless of whether he's here on earth or up in heaven.

"Anthony took that motivation that he was going to play for his family, knowing that's what his dad would have wanted, and to go out and have that kind of game, I think, speaks to the kind of character he has and his family have. It shows the tight-knit group that they are and the love that they have for one another, and he just wanted to show that through his play on Saturday."

You can follow Sam Gardner on Twitter or email him at samgardnerfox@gmail.com.