(WHTM)-- Did you know that the Penn State Nittany Lion mascot was once banned from being on the field during football games?
According to a Penn State blog titled "The Origin of the Nittany Lion," the Nittany Lion became a symbol of the university back in 1904, during a baseball matchup between Penn State and Princeton.
During the walkout to the field, a Princeton Tiger shouted at the Penn State team, "See our emblem, the Princeton Tiger, the fiercest beast of them all." According to the article, a quick-witted retort from Penn State third baseman Harrison "Joe" Mason planted the seed for what would later become a symbol of Pennsylvania sports.
Mason responded to the comment, saying, “Well, up at Penn State we have Mount Nittany right on our campus, where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion