As a rowdy and hot-tempered linebacker at Penn State, Chet Parlavecchio used to get thrown off the practice field on a regular basis by legendary Coach Joe Paterno.

Hardly a day went by when Parlavecchio wasn't fighting or jawing with teammates, so Paterno began searching for ways to calm him down. He looked to his mammoth offensive lineman, Mike Munchak.

"Coach said, 'Munch, will you handle this guy?'" Parlavecchio said with a smile, thinking back to the late 1970s. "Munch said that was it, and that was it. After that, I became a very nice person."

Fast-forward more than 30 years.

When Munchak began building his staff with the Tennessee Titans, one of the names he thought of was Parlavecchio, his long-time friend and former teammate at Penn State. He not only wanted to add a fiery personality to his staff, but he also respected the work his friend had done at the high school level for so many years.

Parlavecchio, 51, today serves as assistant special teams coach with the Titans and on the field this fall will work with the defense. He joined Munchak's staff after spending more than two decades as a high school head coach in New Jersey. Munchak still remembers the passion well. The two eventually became roommates at Penn State, and good friends.

"I have known Chet from our playing days and we have remained in touch since then," Munchak said. "(Chet) will bring a great deal of energy to our staff. And I have always been impressed with his ability to coach and lead."

Those who know Parlavecchio think the rare jump from high school to the NFL won't be a problem. Parlavecchio himself called being reunited with Munchak in the NFL a "dream come true."

Source: Tennessean