The former Nittany Lions running back remains a fan of the Vols, but will be pulling for his alma mater when they clash in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Monday. Fact is, he has a club seat on the 40-yard line.Leroy Thompson had his tickets in hand a long time ago.

As soon as his alma mater Penn State received a bid to the Outback Bowl, he snatched up enough club seats to take care of plenty of family and friends.

Then he found out his Nittany Lions would be matched up Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla., against his hometown Tennessee Vols.

It couldn't be more perfect for Thompson.

"When they announced UT was going to be the opponent, that was just icing on the cake," Thompson said. "It makes for a great trip."

In some ways, it's a trip down memory lane for the former high school All-American from Austin-East High School.

In 1986, everyone in Knoxville wondered if Thompson would wear orange, or Penn State blue, or Miami green.

It was a recruiting soap opera for the News Sentinel's Top Prospect in the state. Rhea County's Andy Kelly, No. 2 on the list, already had picked the Vols.

Thompson just wanted to spread his wings little.

He made his visit to Miami, saw the ocean for the first time and learned there was a big world out there waiting to be discovered.

"I had always been a big fan of Penn State," Thompson said. "I met a guy by the name of Sam Gash, who ended up being the fullback at Penn State, and we were tailback-fullback with the New England Patriots.

"We met at the University of Georgia on a recruiting trip and we hit it off right away and became really good friends."

Gash talked Thompson into giving Penn State another look with an official visit.

The Nittany Lions originally recruited the Austin-East running back as a defensive back, but Thompson wanted no part of that.

At that time for me, it was between UT and Miami," he said. "So I said OK and ended up falling in love with the campus."

Penn State had been recruiting Ricky Watters, but it became apparent Notre Dame would be the college of choice for Watters.

To this day, Penn State coach Joe Paterno says Thompson pursued Penn State.

"Paterno's memory has gone just a tad bad on whether I recruited Penn State or Penn State recruited me," Thompson joked. "But he did remember playing cards with my family.

"On some things the memories fading, and some things it's as clear as day."

Thompson admits he called Penn State to say he wanted to take a look at the campus as long as he would be recruited as a running back.

He had rushed for 5,443 yards and 77 touchdowns during a four-year career at Austin-East. His senior season alone, Thompson had 1,741 yards and 32 TDs.

"That's when they looked it up and saw that I was one of the top running backs in the country," Thompson said. "So they immediately got Jim Caldwell (now Peyton Manning's quarterback coach for the Indianapolis Colts) down here and Joe Paterno came down here twice.

"Caldwell did not leave. He camped out at the hotel until signing day. That's kind of how it went."

The rest is history. Thompson turned down the hometown Vols for a chance to spread his wings and play for Paterno.

"I didn't have the opportunity as a young person to see a whole lot of the country," Thompson said. "We just didn't have the means to travel.

"That's when I fell in love with just getting away and doing something different from (other Austin-East grads) Reggie and Raleigh McKenzie, and Joey Clinkscales, who had been Division I players and had gone to UT."

He spent four years at Penn State and became a sixth-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1991.

His NFL career lasted six seasons with Pittsburgh, New England, Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Contrary to what Paterno told Thompson and his class of recruits in 1987, Paterno didn't retire in 1991.

He's still coaching, now 80 years old, and will be on the sidelines of the Outback Bowl.

"I'll never forget it," Thompson said. "'Guys (in a high-pitched Paterno impersonation), you're going to be my last class.'

"Each time we've gone back and talked to a new recruiting class, they've heard the same story. That was '87, this is 2007, so 20 years later he's still telling them the same thing."

Nothing surprises Thompson anymore.

"I really think Joe Paterno will probably die coaching," he said.

Thompson makes sure he and some friends take in at least one or two Penn State games every season.

"Each time after the game, we all go over to Paterno's house and he has a dinner for the ex-players in town," Thompson said. "Ironically, I always run into (former UT coach) Johnny Majors over there, too.

"The past few years, every time I go to a Penn State game, afterwards, low and behold, there's Johnny Majors.

"He and Coach Paterno are good buddies and they go fishing. We've had some laughs over that."

For some more irony, Thompson has become a big UT fan since returning to his hometown to raise his family.

He follows the football team and is a big fan of coach Bruce Pearl and the Vols' basketball team.

"This is the only time ever I'll be rooting against Tennessee," he said. "They're playing the program where I got my education. I grew up and became a man at Penn State and they helped me play in the NFL.

"I owe a lot to that university. Being here, in my hometown, I'm dedicated to the Vols and doing everything I can in my community of Knoxville that I love. But on New Year's Day, I will be in blue."

Naturally, Thompson is predicting a Penn State victory.

"I think it's a great matchup," he said. "The teams are very similar. They play aggressive, power football. They have athletes on defense.

"Tennessee has great linebackers. Penn State has the best linebackers in the country."

There's a mutual respect between two of the winningest coaches in the nation, Paterno and Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee.

"It's going to be great," Thompson said. "They respect one another tremendously.

"Penn State has beaten Fulmer two times in bowl games in the '90s so you have some desire on Tennessee's behalf to get back at Penn State."

Thompson gets stopped everywhere he goes as people try to get his spin on the game.

They ask why he didn't go to UT and he has to relay that story for the 1,000th time. They ask him if Penn State can stay close to Tennessee come New Year's Day.

He just smiles and lets them know where his allegiance lies.

"Look for me," Thompson said. "I'll be right up there in those club seats on the 40-yard-line.

"I'll be wearing that Big Blue saying, 'We are ..... Penn State,' but I'll have a little 'Rocky Top' going in my heart, too."