LEWISTOWN — When it comes to watching Penn State football, Brian Rothrock believes he’s got one of the best seats in the house – even if he’s not sitting in it.

Say what?

An avid Penn State football fan, Rothrock’s girlfriend, Mindy Jo, surprised him by gifting him two official seats from Beaver Stadium. Apparently, Penn State officials replaced some seats and they eventually found their way to Mifflin County.

“I saw these for sale and the price was outside my budget,” the Lewistown man recalled. “So she gives me this story about how her co-worker’s husband is interested in my truck and how Drake (her son) needs sneakers and she wants to go to Altoona and needs the truck.”

Of course, that was all an elaborate ruse so Rothrock would not be suspicious. It worked.

“Of course I’m upset because if I sell my truck now I have 3 weeks to find a new one because football season is right around the corner,” Rothrock said.

Well, she came clean and they found their forever home because you know … everyone needs seats out of Beaver Stadium in their house,” he added.

Mindy bought them from a Penn State graduate student, who had worked on the turf at Beaver Stadium. He had received them from his boss.

They are one of the biggest additions of Nittany Lion collectibles since July 2018 when he made a four-hour road trip to purchase an official football player’s locker from Penn State’s Lasch Football Building that was used from 1996 to 2016.

“Anybody who knows me knows I’m a huge Penn State football fan, so when I saw this I had to have it,” Rothrock said. “So here it is in its forever home after a week of negotiation.”

Who knows what will come yet. Either way, he’s still got one of the best seats in the house. Or two.