Not long ago, former Penn State football players went off to the NFL if they were good enough or simply took their degrees and moved into the working world to largely never be heard from again inside Beaver Stadium — unless they came back for Homecoming or some reunion of a championship team to earn an obligatory golf-clap moment.
That’s not the case anymore.
Instead of a former player with a brief stint as the sideline reporter for the Penn State radio network or a one-off appearance during the Blue-White Game, there’s more than a half dozen former players — and closer to a full starting lineup, really — who have some role covering the program in a media-related role.
None are beat reporters, regularly questioning James Franklin and those pulling on uniforms these days, but their experience and insights bring perspectives that are different and offer value.
Some are closely associated with Penn State Athletics through financial partnerships, including the State Media contingent that includes Adam Breneman, Brandon Bell and Christian Hackenberg. We might soon see Jason Cabinda, who completed the NFL’s Broadcasting Bootcamp in 2022, too.
Breneman and Co. have done a super job creating content and developing a presence on a variety of social media channels. Along with knowing football, they know how to reach an audience.
Some have more traditional platforms, specifically LaVar Arrington, who cohosts the national sports-talk radio show “2 Pros and a Cup of Joe” on Fox Sports Radio and this season will work with State College-based affiliate Sports Radio 98.7 the Fox on some weekly programming. He also has a branding relationship with Penn State Athletics and its Brand Academy. Arrington’s DisruptU PSU will work to help monetize Penn State athletes — the goal of a few similar efforts and partners these days.
So, fans and folks who consume all that content might not get hard-hitting coverage, but they also might not care. So what if there’s a punch pulled or a question not asked as long as the information comes from someone who might have a good connection with Penn State football?
Keith “Goon” Conlin has been a podcasting and radio presence around Penn State for several years, along with being a strong supporter of the program, as has Brandon Noble. Conlin, for example, helped make the “Rise and Rally” happen in 2012, providing a way for fans to support football players in the wake of the Sandusky scandal that left those players as about the only voice of the university at that time. Noble appears on the “The Obligatory Penn State Pregame Show.”
Younger former players have done that double duty as well, holding media-related roles and positions that strongly support the football program at the same time. Aeneas Hawkins, the co-founder of one of Penn State’s initial NIL efforts, will work with the local radio station this season.
Justin King succeeded Matt McGloin on the “State of State” podcast after McGloin’s political duties as a commissioner in Lackawanna County and member of the Penn State Board of Trustees forced him to focus on things other than just football.
Plus, Landon Tengwall, whose career ended because of injury and will not graduate from Penn State until December, has established his own podcast and contributes to a variety of podcasts and radio shows. Many current players, especially in this name, image, likeness (pay-for-play) world, are churning out content and working to establish brands and media outlets as well. Lineman Nick Dawkins is among those who’ve done a strong job in that space.
It’s all good, interesting stuff — just clearly different from what happened regarding coverage of Penn State in the past, and the players almost consistently come with a few-questions-asked, support-the-program mindset. Again, that’s not inherently bad. Folks who consume the content just need to understand what’s happening and what’s not being addressed or asked.
Years ago, decades at this point, Penn State voices emerged nationally around college football in what were then traditional roles — the only roles available.
Coach Joe Paterno worked as a color commentator for the Michigan-Ohio State game in 1974, a short-lived effort thanks in part to the coach’s success on the sideline through the years.
Jimmy Cefalo transferred from college to a successful pro football career and then an ongoing on-air career in radio and TV. He worked for NBC Sports, covering a little bit of everything, was similarly adaptable in South Florida media roles, where he became a fixture, and presently serves as the radio play-by-play voice of the Miami Dolphins.
On national networks these days, Todd Blackledge probably ranks as the most visible former Penn State player. He’s the lead analyst for NBC’s “Big Ten Saturday Night” and arguably one of the best game analysts in college football, or all of football for that matter.
Plus, Michael Robinson serves as a studio analyst for NBC’s college football coverage, as his career continues to progress after roles with NFL Network and other outlets.
If you reach beyond a Penn State focus for content or coverage, among the many who’ve built solid careers are Anthony “Spice” Adams, who moved from an NFL playing career to things like cohosting “The Great American Baking Show” and an Instagram account with two million followers, and Rich Ohrnberger, who hosts shows for Fox Sports Radio nationally, San Diego Sports 760 and serves as a radio analyst for San Diego State University football games.
Whos’ next? Micah Parsons, for sure. A recent Associated Press story about his offseason and future focused on leadership and on-field topics. Interestingly, though, those quoted or mentioned in the story, those it implicated he sought advice from during the past year, included three former players already working in TV — Tom Brady (Fox), Richard Sherman (Amazon) and Andrew Whitworth (Amazon).
So, Parsons is clearly planning for some future in the media.
If it works out, he’ll join many other former Penn State players already in such roles.
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