Jack Ham, the Hall of Fame linebacker who has spent 27 seasons as Penn State's radio color analyst, experienced a medical emergency on Saturday before the Nittany Lions' kickoff against Washington and was rushed to a Seattle hospital. He was unable to take his usual spot in the broadcast booth for the game, leaving fans and colleagues searching for answers about his condition.
Penn State said in a statement that Ham experienced the medical emergency earlier in the day and was transported to the University of Washington Medical Center, where he was being treated, according to On3. As the New York Post reported, the Washington athletics department sent thoughts and prayers to Ham, his family and the Penn State community following news of his hospitalization. Neither Ham's condition nor the specific nature of the emergency was immediately known, per the Centre Daily Times.
Program Says It Has No Further Details
Penn State offered little beyond its initial statement. “We do not have further information at this time,” the university said, according to the same report. Ham had been set to work his normal color analyst role Saturday alongside longtime play-by-play partner Steve Jones on the Penn State Radio Network until the emergency sidelined him.
With Ham unable to take the air, the station's report notes that Jones continued on play-by-play while Brian Tripp stepped in on color commentary to call the Washington matchup. Ham was scheduled to call the Nittany Lions' game against the University of Washington before the emergency, per the Centre Daily Times.
A Broadcasting Run Spanning More Than Two Decades
Ham has served as Penn State's football radio analyst since 2000, and the 2026 season marked his 27th year on the call, per the same account. He and Jones had already called their 300th game together by 2023, according to On3. Ham also works as an analyst for Westwood One, per the Post's reporting.
Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Ham built his reputation first as an All-American linebacker at Penn State, capping his career with a 91-tackle, four-interception senior season in 1970 that earned him All-America honors, according to Onward State.
A Hall of Fame Playing Career With the Steelers
Ham went on to play his entire 12-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, retiring after the 1982 season as part of the franchise's famed Steel Curtain defense, per the Post. Over that span he won four Super Bowl titles, earned eight Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro nods, with Onward State crediting him with six First-team All-Pro selections across his career.
His playing accomplishments eventually earned him induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990, according to Onward State. Those honors, paired with his decades behind the microphone, have made him one of the most recognizable figures in Penn State athletics — a connection that made Saturday's news all the more jarring for fans tuning in for kickoff.
