Ahead of Senior Day, Penn State QB Sean Clifford hoping to finish ‘whirlwind’ career on a high note

Typically, Penn State’s player conference calls go right to questions. But on Tuesday, sixth-year senior quarterback Sean Clifford opened with a statement.

Clifford started by thanking the assembled media members for their coverage of his four years as Penn State’s starting quarterback. Then, he acknowledged the fans.

“We have the best fans in college football, in my opinion, and it’s been an honor that I’ve been able to walk into Beaver Stadium as a captain for this team, this university and this community,” Clifford said. “I’m the luckiest quarterback in all of college football to be able to start 23 games in Beaver Stadium. Nothing can beat that.”

On Saturday, Clifford will make his 24th and final home start for the Nittany Lions when they go for their 10th win of the season against Michigan State.

Clifford’s tenure — it’s been long enough to be called a tenure — has been eventful. The Cincinnati native helped guide Penn State to an 11-2 record in 2019, his first season as the starter after taking over for fan favorite Trace McSorley. He struggled in 2020 and was benched briefly in favor of eventual Kentucky transfer Will Levis. Last year, Clifford had Penn State riding high as the No. 4 team in the country before an injury at Iowa derailed his and the Nittany Lions’ season.

At times, he was effective, looking like a veteran who had seen it all because he had. At other times, he made rookie mistakes and threw mind-numbing interceptions, some that caused some fans at Beaver Stadium to boo him.

Those tensions were exacerbated this year by having the future of the program biding his time on the bench. It never publicly affected Clifford or the dynamic of Penn State’s tight-knit quarterback room. But any time five-star true freshman Drew Allar stepped on the field this fall, he drew immediate and unwavering applause.

Meanwhile, coach James Franklin stuck with Clifford, who continued his sporadic play. Through 11 games, Clifford has 18 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions, three coming in a winnable game against Ohio State. The opener at Purdue in which he threw a pick-6 that almost cost Penn State the game before leading a two-minute touchdown drive to beat the Boilermakers was really a microcosm of his career.

Clifford has started 44 games. This year, he set all-time Penn State records in passing yards (10,180), passing touchdowns (80) and completions (798). He also has thrown 31 interceptions. He never beat the Buckeyes and split four games against Michigan.

But Clifford’s time at Penn State goes beyond just numbers. It was a roller-coaster ride everyone was on together, for better or for worse.

“I’ve always been here for the journey,” said Clifford, who committed to Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class all the way back in July 2015. “Are there goals I fell short of? Yeah. But I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished, the teams I’ve been on and the things we’ve done over my past six years. From a program perspective, I think that we’re in a really good place. And to be a small spoke in that wheel is something that I can’t thank the community for enough. It’s been so much fun and such a whirlwind but at the same time such a great experience.”

Franklin, asked what sticks out about Clifford, said “perseverance, through good, through bad and through praise.” Franklin added that Clifford, who’s working on his second degree, is an entrepreneur and someone who has “maximized” his college experience and is prepared for life after football “whenever that happens.”

In the meantime, Franklin hopes that Saturday, when Clifford is announced on Senior Day, that the fans in Happy Valley recognize his career appropriately.

“I think all of the seniors should get cheered the way I think they deserve to be cheered, not only in the Senior Day ceremonies, but when they announce the starters,” Franklin said Tuesday. “I think that would be the right thing to do.”

As for Clifford, it won’t be easy suiting up for the last time at Beaver Stadium. He said it could be emotional.

“But at the same time, I’m just excited to have another opportunity and my last opportunity at Beaver,” Clifford said. “It’s going to be a blast. I’m excited to do it with my teammates, and I just can’t thank the fans enough for these years. I’m just excited to finish it off on a high note on Saturday.”