More sad news from the 1970s PSU teams - Gary Petercuskie

[Bob78]

Sad news to report - Gary Petercuskie, PSU Safety who played from 1974-1977, passed away yesterday. As told to me, he had dementia, uncertain if it could be CTE related. He was 70.

Cuskie was a fraternity brother of mine, an excellent athlete from an interesting football family. Last I knew, he was living in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, maybe?

His father, John, was a legendary HS football coach at Neshaminy HS in Langhorne, PA. (Same HS that James Franklin went to, but long before James's time). Gary's brother Jerry was, and maybe still is, an assistant college coach. He was a GA for a couple seasons when Gary was in school here, then had a few jobs in colleges. Virginia, BC, Liberty, I think, among them.

Gary had some NFL and CFL tryouts, maybe USFL as well. I think he eventually was an administrator in the USFL Offices or for one of the teams for a short while.

If memory serves, he may have been the first true freshman to start for Joe - that would have been in 1974 if so. He played Free Safety, returned a few punts, and was reliable because he had great instincts. He was built more like a WR, so he was constantly diving at runners' legs to make the tackles. He earned some All-East and All-America recognition as well.

RIP to another good guy gone too soon.

 

[PSU Mike]

Remember him vividly from my radio-listening Saturday afternoons sitting by the old Milroy-made Fisher tuner.

 

[s1uggo72]

Sad news to report - Gary Petercuskie, PSU Safety who played from 1974-1977, passed away yesterday. As told to me, he had dementia, uncertain if it could be CTE related. He was 70.

Cuskie was a fraternity brother of mine, an excellent athlete from an interesting football family. Last I knew, he was living in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, maybe?

His father, John, was a legendary HS football coach at Neshaminy HS in Langhorne, PA. (Same HS that James Franklin went to, but long before James's time). Gary's brother Jerry was, and maybe still is, an assistant college coach. He was a GA for a couple seasons when Gary was in school here, then had a few jobs in colleges. Virginia, BC, Liberty, I think, among them.

Gary had some NFL and CFL tryouts, maybe USFL as well. I think he eventually was an administrator in the USFL Offices or for one of the teams for a short while.

If memory serves, he may have been the first true freshman to start for Joe - that would have been in 1974 if so. He played Free Safety, returned a few punts, and was reliable because he had great instincts. He was built more like a WR, so he was constantly diving at runners' legs to make the tackles. He earned some All-East and All-America recognition as well.

RIP to another good guy gone too soon.

RIP I swear there were 3 of them, 2 a PSU and 1 at Rutgers. I remember seeing him getting beat, and he just turned an ran as deep as he could to make a play.

 

[LionJim]

Sad news to report - Gary Petercuskie, PSU Safety who played from 1974-1977, passed away yesterday. As told to me, he had dementia, uncertain if it could be CTE related. He was 70.

Cuskie was a fraternity brother of mine, an excellent athlete from an interesting football family. Last I knew, he was living in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, maybe?

His father, John, was a legendary HS football coach at Neshaminy HS in Langhorne, PA. (Same HS that James Franklin went to, but long before James's time). Gary's brother Jerry was, and maybe still is, an assistant college coach. He was a GA for a couple seasons when Gary was in school here, then had a few jobs in colleges. Virginia, BC, Liberty, I think, among them.

Gary had some NFL and CFL tryouts, maybe USFL as well. I think he eventually was an administrator in the USFL Offices or for one of the teams for a short while.

If memory serves, he may have been the first true freshman to start for Joe - that would have been in 1974 if so. He played Free Safety, returned a few punts, and was reliable because he had great instincts. He was built more like a WR, so he was constantly diving at runners' legs to make the tackles. He earned some All-East and All-America recognition as well.

RIP to another good guy gone too soon.

Yeah, John Petercuskie in the ‘60, ‘62, ‘63, ‘64, ‘65 seasons at Neshaminy went 48-0-4. I’m not sure where Gary went to high school but he didn’t graduate Neshaminy. (I am NHS Class of ‘74.)

Godspeed Gary Petercuskie.

 

[LionJim]

Also, @Bob78 sorry for your loss. Cherish the good memories.

 

[pap]

Sad news to report - Gary Petercuskie, PSU Safety who played from 1974-1977, passed away yesterday. As told to me, he had dementia, uncertain if it could be CTE related. He was 70.

Cuskie was a fraternity brother of mine, an excellent athlete from an interesting football family. Last I knew, he was living in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, maybe?

His father, John, was a legendary HS football coach at Neshaminy HS in Langhorne, PA. (Same HS that James Franklin went to, but long before James's time). Gary's brother Jerry was, and maybe still is, an assistant college coach. He was a GA for a couple seasons when Gary was in school here, then had a few jobs in colleges. Virginia, BC, Liberty, I think, among them.

Gary had some NFL and CFL tryouts, maybe USFL as well. I think he eventually was an administrator in the USFL Offices or for one of the teams for a short while.

If memory serves, he may have been the first true freshman to start for Joe - that would have been in 1974 if so. He played Free Safety, returned a few punts, and was reliable because he had great instincts. He was built more like a WR, so he was constantly diving at runners' legs to make the tackles. He earned some All-East and All-America recognition as well.

RIP to another good guy gone too soon.

So sorry to hear this , I remember him well . Solid player and good guy . May he RIP for sure

 

[NEPA Lion]

R.I.P. One of my favorite players. Sure tackler and tough as nails, his name often came up
as one of the more reliable players to play at Penn State.

 

[Bob78]

Yeah, John Petercuskie in the ‘60, ‘62, ‘63, ‘64, ‘65 seasons at Neshaminy went 48-0-4. I’m not sure where Gary went to high school but he didn’t graduate Neshaminy. (I am NHS Class of ‘74.)

Godspeed Gary Petercuskie.

Gary went to HS in Mass. Hollister, maybe?
John's record at Neshaminy was something like 59-1-7(?). Going on memory from reading about it long ago. However long he was there, he had 1 loss. Incredible.

@LionJim - Hello to a fellow 1974 HS grad. If you're also a '56er like me, we turn 70 this year. My birthday was Tuesday the 15th.

 

[LionJim]

Gary went to HS in Mass. Hollister, maybe?
John's record at Neshaminy was something like 59-1-7(?). Going on memory from reading about it long ago. However long he was there, he had 1 loss. Incredible.

@LionJim - Hello to a fellow 1974 HS grad. If you're also a '56er like me, we turn 70 this year. My birthday was Tuesday the 15th.

I’ll be 70 in June. For the rest of the posters here, be forewarned that your hearing is the first thing to go.

 

[Nitt1300]

I’ll be 70 in June. For the rest of the posters here, be forewarned that your hearing is the first thing to go.

What?

 

[Rocco3]

Sad news to report - Gary Petercuskie, PSU Safety who played from 1974-1977, passed away yesterday. As told to me, he had dementia, uncertain if it could be CTE related. He was 70.

Cuskie was a fraternity brother of mine, an excellent athlete from an interesting football family. Last I knew, he was living in Massachusetts. Cape Cod, maybe?

His father, John, was a legendary HS football coach at Neshaminy HS in Langhorne, PA. (Same HS that James Franklin went to, but long before James's time). Gary's brother Jerry was, and maybe still is, an assistant college coach. He was a GA for a couple seasons when Gary was in school here, then had a few jobs in colleges. Virginia, BC, Liberty, I think, among them.

Gary had some NFL and CFL tryouts, maybe USFL as well. I think he eventually was an administrator in the USFL Offices or for one of the teams for a short while.

If memory serves, he may have been the first true freshman to start for Joe - that would have been in 1974 if so. He played Free Safety, returned a few punts, and was reliable because he had great instincts. He was built more like a WR, so he was constantly diving at runners' legs to make the tackles. He earned some All-East and All-America recognition as well.

RIP to another good guy gone too soon.

Far too young!

 

[PSUForever]

R.I.P. sad to see him pass so young. I remember the name but not much of his play. Did he play alongside Pete Harris?

 

[Bob78]

R.I.P. sad to see him pass so young. I remember the name but not much of his play. Did he play alongside Pete Harris?

Gary Petercuskie played 1974-77.
I'm not sure when Pete started, but I think his big season was 1978.

 

[Binder74]

I’ll be 70 in June. For the rest of the posters here, be forewarned that your hearing is the first thing to go.

My wife has accused me of that but it's selective hearing. Comes in handy at times.

 

[Big_O]

I remember him because being from NE Ohio and a follower of the Browns, I knew his father was a Browns assistant coach. This was during the time I was a student at Penn State.

 

[s1uggo72]

R.I.P. sad to see him pass so young. I remember the name but not much of his play. Did he play alongside Pete Harris?

I think Pete played after Gary

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Gary went to HS in Mass. Hollister, maybe?
John's record at Neshaminy was something like 59-1-7(?). Going on memory from reading about it long ago. However long he was there, he had 1 loss. Incredible.

@LionJim - Hello to a fellow 1974 HS grad. If you're also a '56er like me, we turn 70 this year. My birthday was Tuesday the 15th.

Pretty close on the head coach record for John. It was 59-1-5. His only loss was in 1961 (funny how @LionJim didn't include the 1961 season in his post. He's good with numbers, but smh.).

 

[LionJim]

Pretty close on the head coach record for John. It was 59-1-5. His only loss was in 1961 (funny how @LionJim didn't include the 1961 season in his post. He's good with numbers, but smh.).

Lol, ya got me. I got those seasons from the private Neshaminy Football site, under “Undefeated Seasons.” You can have me play in the Pick ‘Em, or you can have me getting all anal on high school football seasons from 65 years ago, but not both. It’s difficult enough for me to keep up with the Friday Jukebox, that takes up a whole lot of time, ya wouldn’t believe it.