Before throwing his first pass for Penn State, quarterback Rocco Becht was already taking on the biggest fight in Happy Valley, about kids fighting cancer. By stepping into the spotlight for Penn State THON, he showed he understands what Happy Valley stands for.

“I’m excited to partner with MI Windows and Doors to support Penn State THON,” Rocco said. “While I’m still new to campus, I love how passionate the Penn State community is about supporting children and their families fighting pediatric cancer.”

He’s a new face in Happy Valley, but he’s quickly learning that the school’s heartbeat is the Penn State THON—a 46-hour dance marathon that has seen over 16,500 student volunteers raise an incredible $254 million for pediatric cancer since 1977. And ninety-six cents of every dollar is going straight to kids and families through Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital.

“I haven’t been here long,” Becht admitted, “but THON has been a big subject since I’ve gotten here.”

That commitment is no surprise, considering this is the same quarterback who tore the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder last season and still didn’t miss a start. The same guy who, as Matt Campbell put it, was getting “shot up” every Tuesday and Wednesday the final month just to give the Cyclones a chance to win. Becht has the potential to become the face of football because he ticks all three important boxes–elite production, visible leadership, and a story that people can really get behind.

Campbell calls him “one of the greatest leaders” he’s ever been around. Even offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said, “He won’t be outworked… Just being around that guy provides confidence in everyone because of what he brings and who he’s about.”

He literally lives in the training room. Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters calls him an “incredible connector of people.” So when Becht says, “We need you, Penn State fans, for the kids,” it feels real coming from someone who refuses to sit out just fighting for something that isn’t up on a scoreboard.

Now in State College, Becht is rehabbing after shoulder surgery. He will be starting midway through the spring. He brings 39 straight starts, more than 9,000 passing yards, and 83 total touchdowns with him.

And before he’s taken a snap in Beaver Stadium, he’s already added his name to something far bigger. And inside the Bryce Jordan Center, where hundreds of dancers will stand for 46 straight hours so kids don’t have to fight alone, that really matters. For Rocco Becht, this is like stepping into a community that rallies for the people.

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Matt Campbell & Co are all-in

The way Matt Campbell and his staff talk about Rocco Becht, it’s as if they’re talking about family. See, there are stats, sure, with 26 wins over three seasons, 64 touchdown passes, seven game-winning drives, but that’s not the only thing where their voices lingered around.

They kept coming back to who he is. “He’s one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around,” Campbell said, almost shaking his head at the memory of last season. “He’s as tough and as competitive as any football player I’ve ever been around.” Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser added a different layer to it: “If you’re on the golf course with him, he’ll find a way to win… He’s a cheater in golf.” But that’s the thing about Becht, the will to win shows up everywhere he goes.

What makes all the praise feel real is what he has played through. A torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, concussion, and whatnot. There were weeks when he couldn’t even throw. And still, he kept dragging Iowa State into the fourth quarter with a chance. Campbell remembered those final weeks vividly, the way Becht “gave us every chance to win every one of those games.”

Even when his numbers aren’t perfect, marred by tipped interceptions or sub-50% completion days, coaches never lose their belief in him. But still, coaches believe in him. “Until the last second ticks off, you’re always going to feel like you have a chance,” Mouser said. That belief travels. It seeps into a sideline.

Now at Happy Valley, Becht is the most experienced quarterback in the room. Coaches talk about how he lives in the training room and pulls people in. They call him a “servant leader.”

Mouser even went as far as saying, “He checks all the boxes from a character standpoint. I have a daughter. If she marries someone like Rocco, it’d be the win of the century. He has great character.” And maybe that’s why Campbell followed through on bringing him along.