Carrying the Torch

Ever since the Penn football team played its first game November 1, 1876, the Quakers have been synonymous with big-time action. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Franklin Field played host to Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan on a regular basis. But all of this changed in 1956 with the formation of the Ivy League. Still, Penn was competitive, but nothing like it used to be. And then in 1979, the rules and regulations became even more restrictive. Still, Penn football has seen its share of great athletes. And even after the implementation of all of these limitations, Joe Valerio received national acclaim. The all-American offensive lineman for the Quakers in the late 1980s seemed to do the impossible. After attending a Division I-AA program that did not offer scholarships, Valerio became a professional. He was chosen in the second round of the 1991 National Football League draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. "Once in a generation does an Ivy League football player make it to the NFL," said Howard Mudd, the former Kansas City offensive line coach. "And Ivy offensive linemen are even rarer -- like once every two or three generations. Joe has got all of the tools. He is here to stay." But Valerio's transition to the professional level did not come without its bumps. After spending most of his first season on the bench, only playing occasionally as the team's backup long snapper, Valerio has slowly improved and become an integral part of the Chiefs' offensive line. "The line is awesome," he said of his teammates in Kansas City. "They've been playing incredibly. I don't feel disappointed playing behind a group like this. It's learning time for me." And after just one season, Valerio proved his worth to the Chiefs. He became the starting long snapper. He became the first backup offensive lineman, seeing substantial action during the last three seasons. But maybe most importantly, he became a valuable asset close to the end zone. In Kansas City's jumbo lineup, Valerio lines up as the third tight end, eligible to catch passes. And that is exactly what he has done -- three times to be precise. The first came in a key victory over the Chiefs' biggest divisional rival, the Los Angeles Raiders. It was his catch in a 24-19 victory that propelled Kansas City into the playoffs in 1993. And this year he has added two more scoring receptions from Joe Montana. But then again, it has never taken Valerio long to excel in any sport. When he was just nine years old, the catcher on his Little League team went down with an injury. When the coach turned to Valerio -- who had never donned catching gear -- and asked if he was ready, Valerio responded, "I can do it." And the excited nine-year-old did just that. In one of his squad's few victories that season, Valerio threw out two runners attempting to steal second base. From this auspicious beginning, Valerio developed into one of the Delaware Valley's top catching prospects, attracting professional scouts from around the country. But even after proving his prowess behind the plate, Valerio still seemed to have some free time on his hands, so he took up basketball in high school. Within weeks of joining the team, Valerio moved into the starting lineup at center. He had to face one of the nation's best players in the state regionals?Billy Owens -- the same Billy Owens named Pennsylvania high school basketball player of the year in 1987-88, leader of the Syracuse Orangemen and star for the Golden State Warriors. Joe Valerio is not easily intimidated. He held the superstar from Carlisle to just six first-half points. Although Owens finished the game with 20 points in a Carlisle victory, Valerio still netted 14 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. "I had the best game of my life," Valerio said. Even with all this success in baseball and basketball, Valerio's forte has always been football. The gladiator on the line likes to throw his weight around. More importantly, he likes to throw defensive linemen around. But he has not always been a 300-pound muscular force. When he first committed to Penn, he weighed in at 220 pounds. But then Quakers strength coach Charlie Packman organized a weightlifting and nutrition regimen designed to add bulk to Valerio's large frame gradually. "We always had something structured for us to do," Valerio said of his Penn days. "You have to schedule weightlifting like it's a class. It takes a lot of discipline. You're walking down College Green and there are people lying out throwing frisbees. You say to yourself, 'Man, I want to lay out.' But you have to hit the weight room. "Every year, I just put on a little bit more [weight]. I never went from 225 to 260. I went 20 pounds a year. That way, my knees took it well." Valerio's dedication paid off. By the time he arrived at Penn in the fall of '87, he joined the freshman team at 240 pounds and bench pressed his weight. As he continued to work over the course of his Quaker career, he gradually put on more mass and grew stronger. By the time he graduated, he bench pressed 400 pounds, military pressed 230 pounds and could leg press 520 pounds 13 times. "He's a lot bigger [than the average Ivy lineman]," then-Penn offensive line coach Tom Gilmore said in 1990. "But it's not just the numbers. It's the way he looks. He's about 300 pounds, and he doesn't really look like he's 300 pounds." Try convincing NFL defensive linemen he's not really that big. Try convincing the Los Angeles Raiders of that. In fact, try convincing anyone who saw Penn play in the 1980s. They saw one the best Ivy offensive linemen ever to grace Franklin Field. Although the Quakers have been blessed with many tremendous athletes, one of the greatest now is spending his Sundays catching touchdown passes in Arrowhead Stadium.