UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Both families wanted their sons to grow up in one place, not having to worry about moving, changing schools and making new friends.
The Marine Corps., however, had other plans. Learning to adapt and overcome whatever challenges or deployments were put in front of them became part of the childhoods of Penn State wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and DeAndre Thompkins. Hamilton, whose parents met in the Marine Corps and have a combined total of 43 years service, was born in Okinawa and grew up in Fredericksburg, Va. Thompkins’ father enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1999 and was deployed three times, twice to Iraq, once to Afghanistan.