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Penn State broadcaster Jack Ham is in "stable" condition after suffering a medical emergency that required hospitalization Saturday morning and caused him to miss the Washington game.
Nittany Lion coach Matt Campbell called it "gut wrenching."
"We prayed as a football team before we went on the field for one of the great warriors in our football family," Campbell said after the Lions' 28-25 win. "To watch our kids play with his guts and his heart and his fighting spirit, it was awesome to win the game for him and his family."
Along with Steve Jones and Pat Kraft, Campbell visited with Ham after the game and said "our prayers will continue."
The team flew back to State College afterward, and Ham remained at the University of Washington Medical Center.
He arrived at Husky Stadium with the Nittany Lions on Saturday morning for the 12:30 p.m. kickoff (Pacific time).
Campbell credited Jones, the Lions' longtime play-by-play man, "for the heroic effort that he did for somebody he loves dearly. And if it not for Steve and what he did, I don't know if we would have as good a news as we do right now."
A former star linebacker at PSU, Ham is a member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame, having also been a key contributor to the Pittsburgh Steelers winning four Super Bowls.
A Johnstown native and graduate of Bishop McCort High School, Ham has served as Penn State's color analyst since 2000.
Brian Tripp, typically the sideline reporter, stepped in for Ham and was praised by Jones "for doing a phenomenal job. My co-workers were outstanding, and the broadcast did not miss a beat."
–Neil Rudel