Longtime college football analyst Gary Danielson has a plan if the Penn State-Nevada game gets lopsided Saturday.
He’s going to go big.
Instead of focusing on the minutia, little things like some backup player’s high school accolades or statistics, he’ll be ready to discuss bigger-picture college football topics with longtime CBS Sports partner Brad Nessler.
“It’s more about where does Penn State go from here and what about Nevada’s season at that point, if Penn State pulls away,” Danielson said. “We’ll probably talk about how college football is changing, big-picture things. I like to pretend I’m sitting in the locker room after playing a round of golf and what would those guys want to know and talk about.
“It’s not the time, as might be the case in a nailbiter, to look for every minuscule step or evaluate if the safety didn’t know or do something.”
That pragmatic approach and a lot of hard work have been the keys to Danielson’s longevity and success as a college football analyst. This marks his 36th and final season doing that work, and he’s been a network’s top analyst for much of that time.
He’s been with CBS Sports since 2006, and before that with ABC (1997-2005) and ESPN (1999-2004) — all on the heels of 13 years as an NFL quarterback. He played QB at Purdue and was especially interested in being part of the broadcast team’s move to covering the Big Ten Conference after a long relationship with the Southeastern Conference.
Danielson worked four Penn State games last season, but none at Beaver Stadium.
The season opener marks his first trip to Happy Valley since a White Out game against Iowa on Sept. 23, 2023, and those are the only games he’s worked in the stadium in decades because of his longtime association with CBS.
Still, he has many Penn State memories covering teams coached by Joe Paterno. Before that, he had a couple of Penn State teammates in the NFL. All-American linebacker Ed O’Neil was team captain for the undefeated Nittany Lions in 1973. He was later Danielson’s next-door neighbor when both played for the Detroit Lions.
In addition, standout offensive lineman Keith Dorney, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame because of his success at Penn State, helped protect Danielson during his career behind center. Danielson became one of the most productive QBs in team history during his nine seasons with the Lions.
Danielson, who turns 74 on Sept. 10, has not been flashy or opinionated during his career, just informative and steady. Of all those who’ve influenced his career, he credits his wife, Kristy, with some of the most important and lasting advice.
“It grew out of attending my son’s games, when sometimes I’d share a little more than fatherly advice,” Danielson said. “She told me there’s a difference between bring critical and critiquing and that’s really stuck with me.
“In 30 years, I’ve never called for someone’s job or said someone should be benched, but I’ve tried to be fair and offer critiques and information that help people who are watching.”
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