MINNEAPOLIS -- Altoona native Jack Stange, who at 83 is the same age as Joe Paterno, grew up 38 miles from Penn State but had never attended a Nittany Lion game until Saturday.
"I am very excited, and I'm hoping they win," said Stange, a retired pastor who now lives in Prior Lake, Minn.
Stange said he was born in an apartment in Altoona in 1926 and graduated from Altoona High in 1944. He had a twin sister, Betty, who passed away a few years ago.
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Mirror photo by Cory Giger
Altoona native Jack Stange gets ready to watch his first PSU game with his son, Steve.
Stange left the area after high school to attend Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., and never moved back to Altoona. He said he no longer has any family in the area.
He's always been a Penn State fan and couldn't wait to see the Lions.
"I could hardly sleep last night as I thought about seeing JoePa," Stange said.
Stange now lives with his son, Steve, in Prior Lake and attended Saturday's game with him.
"It's exciting," Steve said. "It was fun to buy tickets for him and to bring him, and he's been looking forward to it."
