I never knew this about Irv Pankey

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

Chester

UDFA
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
2
Name
Chester
Message deleted by mod as bad merge. Sorry @AvengerRam somehow another thread got linked to this one when I merged yours and @Neil039 thread on the same story.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

AvengerRam

Benevolent Troublemaker
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
5,044
There is a long story on ESPN.com about Todd Hodne, a serial rapist and murderer who was once a football player for Joe Paterno at Penn State. Its a tough read and a horrible story, but within it is an interesting side-story about former Ram Irv Pankey that will make you proud. Pankey was a teammate of Hodne and, when he heard one of the victims testify about her ordeal, he took it upon herself to approach her, express his admiration, and ensure her that she would be protected from that moment on at Penn State. He lived up to his word, and she refers to him as her "guardian angel."

Here's the link:
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story ... ng-justice
 

Soul Surfer

Legend
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
6,422
Name
Charles Mazyck
Pretty inappropriate response given the subject matter of this thread.
All you have to do is delete your comment pointing out that it's inappropriate and it's gone unless you want to drag it on and on....
 

AvengerRam

Benevolent Troublemaker
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
5,044
I actually knew Pankeys cousins and they told me he had a really good sense of humor.

Deleted.
I've always thought that laughter was the best medicine and I actually lived near some of his cousins and they all had really a good sense of humor.
This one isn’t about having a sense of humor. This is about a horrible situation in which one of “our own” stepped up to the plate and did something really admirable.

Pankey later spent 22 years as an educator/coach at a small college in California.
 
Last edited:

Soul Surfer

Legend
Joined
Mar 22, 2017
Messages
6,422
Name
Charles Mazyck
Knowing the Pankey family, that doesn't surprise me a bit.

So you've chosen to keep your comment up to show what my joke was.

Got it.
 

Riverumbbq

Angry Progressive
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
May 26, 2013
Messages
11,962
Name
River
Wow. What a story, ... and unfortunately probably one that is a lot more common than we'd likely care to believe. It's great to hear that at least some of these very vulnerably women have someone like Pankey who are willing to offer such support. I will now be able to associate the word HERO when thinking about Irv Pankey.
Thanks for posting ...
 

Neil039

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
3,914
While working in Law Enforcement, I tracked, supervised and arrested Sex Offenders for nearly 6 years. This is a long an detailed article on a sexual predator who was on the Penn State foitball team in 1978. It’s a long read, might be hard for anyone who doesnt want to read graphic details of sexual assault. I was justba little kid when this happened, so i have no recollection of it. Truly a sad and insight story about everyone harmed by this criminal.


https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/s...dator-untold-story-crimes-fight-bring-justice
 

JKBOGEN

JAKE OLIVER ELLENBOGEN
Joined
Jun 26, 2016
Messages
1,747
Not surprising but awesome! Irv came on my show a few years back. He's a gem. One of the more underrated OL to play in the NFL IMO. Love the share
 

ottoman89

Busch Light slammin, hog farmin, Iowa boy.
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
4,948
Name
Josh Otto
What is it with Penn State and sexual predators? Should be renamed Pedo State.
 

Memento

Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
17,373
Name
Jemma
Bless Irv Pankey. I was too young to know him, but bless him for taking the side of the survivor rather than his ex-teammate.
 

Memento

Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Messages
17,373
Name
Jemma
While working in Law Enforcement, I tracked, supervised and arrested Sex Offenders for nearly 6 years. This is a long an detailed article on a sexual predator who was on the Penn State foitball team in 1978. It’s a long read, might be hard for anyone who doesnt want to read graphic details of sexual assault. I was justba little kid when this happened, so i have no recollection of it. Truly a sad and insight story about everyone harmed by this criminal.


https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/s...dator-untold-story-crimes-fight-bring-justice

Apparently, this Penn State player (Todd Hodne), according to one of the people who was responsible for trying to send him to prison in court, was one of the worst he had ever prosecuted in terms of lack of remorse, entitlement, and overall violence and sadism.

Credit goes, of course, to Irv Pankey for saying, "I believe you, and I will protect you." to the victim who had the courage to tell her story to the court, in a time where victim/survivor-blaming was extremely common.
 

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
22,500
Name
Dennis
I remember when the Rams drafted Irv Pankey because that was the first year that ESPN televised the draft in 1980 being 13 at the time and Paul Zimmerman a writer for Sports Illustrated was working with ESPN then and when the Rams drafted Pankey a TE, Zimmerman said, "he will play tackle for them." and he was right and Pankey was one hell of a Left Tackle and apparently a credit to his race, the human race! Loved Irv Pankey.

1649790852848.png
 

Neil039

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Apr 3, 2020
Messages
3,914
Minus all my typos on my original post. The lack of remorse or accountability by Hodne isn’t surprising for a sociopath.

Irv Pankey was/is her Angel. He is an amazing man! My hope from this story is to bring light to the survivors and hero‘s like Pankey. The disconnect between the Penn State staff, local law enforcement and the community as a whole is horrible.
 

Flint

Pro Bowler
Joined
Aug 17, 2017
Messages
1,595
Minus all my typos on my original post. The lack of remorse or accountability by Hodne isn’t surprising for a sociopath.

Irv Pankey was/is her Angel. He is an amazing man! My hope from this story is to bring light to the survivors and hero‘s like Pankey. The disconnect between the Penn State staff, local law enforcement and the community as a whole is horrible.
It was a tough read and the victim shaming and protection of the accused was probably pretty typical. It’s probably not as pervasive as it was and I hope a guy charged with crimes like these wouldn’t be let loose to commit more crimes. One thing hasn’t changed though, money and power can convince good people to look the other way.
 

Allen2McVay

Legend
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
7,655
Name
Jim
Big Irv Pankey fan in my 20's.

After the Rams moved-on from Pankey in 1991, there were a number of LTs.
Gerald Perry from Denver had me excited but he was just OK.
Veteran Irv Eatman followed Perry. I was happy about it but Eatman was not as good as Perry ... in my opinion.
Next-up was Clarence Jones who seemed like a nice-enough-guy but was not as good as Eatman.
A first round pick was then used on Wayne Gandy who I viewed as a good player on bad teams.

Sadly, that was most of my 30's

After four years of Gandy at LT, the Rams drafted some guy named Orlando Pace.