Trexler to write PSU book; Poorman to write foreword

The Phanatic Magazine's Jared Trexler has agreed to author "Sports By the Numbers: Penn State Football", the second book in a proposed 12-book series based on a statisical analysis of the country's top collegiate programs and professional franchises.

Due for an August 2008 release, "Sports By the Numbers: Penn State Football" will delve into the history of college football's prized program with the use of statistics and stories, joining to create a historical timeline of great players, games and coaches.

Mike Poorman, the current senior lecturer and director of alumni relations for Penn State's College of Communications, will write the book's foreword.

A former sports writer and editor, and long-time senior vice president for The Barash Group in State College, Poorman co-founded and has edited the Penn State Football Annual for the past 18 years. He joined the College as manager of alumni relations in 2004. His sports writing experience includes—associate sports editor, Centre Daily Times, State College; sportswriter, Lebanon (Pa.) Daily News; postgraduate internship, U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.; part-time correspondent, Associated Press and United Press International; and sports editor, The Daily Collegian, when the paper was named the nation's No. 1 student newspaper. (courtesy of psu.edu).

"Mike is an excellent writer, stays well connected to the university and its sports programs, and has been around Joe (Paterno) and the program since his days at the Daily Collegian in the early 1980s," said Trexler. "He was the first person that came to mind, and I'm honored he has agreed to take this book to a level only his writing can."

Trexler was a member of Poorman's sports writing class as part of the university's Center for Sports Journalism in 2004.

The publishing company Savas Beatie, a well-known general history publisher that has already published such sports novels as "Playing with the Enemy," and the first book of the "Sports By the Numbers" series detailing Oklahoma football, will publish the book chronicling the Nittany Lions.

"Sports By the Numbers" is a concept developed by co-authors and Oklahoma graduate students David Horne, Daniel Brush and Marc Maxwell, the partnership group responsible with the concept and for overseeing the production of each book.

The Phanatic Magazine's managing editor John McMullen was the first member of the staff approached about joining the team, and he will be writing the Philadelphia Eagles book for an August 2008 release. More information on McMullen's book will be posted when available.