Author’s Penn State-inspired character makes last appearance in ‘Early Grave’

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Not many football players or lawyers know the right time to retire, but Jake Lassiter is not just any football player or lawyer, and his end is printed in black and white.

Lassiter, a character who made his debut in 1990 as the protagonist of a series of books written by real life Penn State alumnus Paul Levine, makes his last such appearance this month in the final book of the series, “Early Grave.”

Levine, an award-winning and best-selling author who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State in 1969, said it was time for Lassiter to put his briefcase away.

“Lassiter threatened to break my thumbs if I benched him, which would be a pretty good trick considering he’s fictional,” said Levine, who was named an Alumni Fellow in 1993 and Distinguished Alumnus in 2003. “I told him it’s time [to] hit the hammock and smell the roses, or in his case, sip the tequila.”

Do not expect Lassiter to depart quietly, though. He never does anything quietly.

In the upcoming book, the 15th from Levine featuring Lassiter, the protagonist’s godson suffers a catastrophic injury in a high school football game. So, Lassiter sues to abolish the sport he played and launched his own NFL career. It’s not a popular decision. The book earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly ahead of its Jan. 10 publication.

At the same time, Lassiter, a former NFL linebacker, battles his own issues with CTE, the fatal brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. And, because Levine’s engaging and entertaining novels include action, engaging banter and plot twists, Lassiter has a lot fighting for his attention. He has entered couples therapy with his fiancée (Dr. Melissa Gold) and pledges to fix his relationship and find justice for his godson before he dies.

Lassiter made his debut in the international bestseller “To Speak for the Dead” 33 years ago. Levine said the decision to end the series was not easy.

“I’ve been living with the big lug for a long time,” said Levine, “and he’s come a long way. At Penn State, Joe Paterno called Lassiter his ‘problem child.’ With the Miami Dolphins, Don Shula sat him so far down the bench his butt was in Hialeah. He attended night law school and proudly graduated in the top half of the bottom third of his class. In trendy South Beach, he’s the brew and burger guy in a paté and Chardonnay world. But still, in the courtroom, he stands tall and fights for justice.”

Along with the Lassiter series, Levine, who won the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award, has written the “Solomon vs. Lord” series. He has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber prizes. His novels have been translated into 23 languages. A former trial lawyer in Miami, Levine wrote 20 episodes of the CBS military drama “JAG” and co-created with Donald Bellisario the Supreme Court drama “First Monday” starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna.

Levine, a consistent and strong supporter of Penn State and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, made a $50,000 gift to the University in 2019 to establish the Paul Levine Journalism Scholarship to support full-time undergraduates enrolled in the journalism major who have a demonstrated financial need.