Podward State

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are happy to be joined by all the whole podcast team to announce their new positions, starting with official third host, Grace Cunningham, as well as Will Pegler and Jordan Mansberger as associate producers. Also joining on this episode is Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, and MLB Network baseball commentator and Penn State Alum, Tom Verducci. 

Tom starts out the show talking about how he came to choose Penn State, citing a connection with legendary football coach Joe Paterno, as well as his love for journalism. This leads into his time at Penn State and getting jobs after he left Happy Valley. 

As well as being one of the voices of baseball, Verducci is also a Professional Baseball Hall Of Fame voter, which he gives us an inside look into what goes into that decision and some of the tricky decisions during the steroid era. 

Tom tells us one of his favorite stories being his spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays. He also recalls some of his favorite memories, favorite games, and favorite interactions. 

Finally, to wrap up the show, Verducci gives us some really great advice not only about the sports media industry, but for life in general.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, our hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are joined by Onward State Men's Hockey beat writer Acacia Aster Broder and former Onward State managing editor and current Carolina Hurricanes beat writer for The Athletic Sara Civian.

Sara starts the show talking about how she chose Penn State, how she became a writer, specifically covering hockey. She chats about the rewards that her job brings to her and some of the differences between covering college hockey opposed to professional hockey.

Being in a predominately male industry, Civian talks about what it is like to be a woman in sports media and some of the challenges that it brings. She discusses how she deals with adversity and gives advice to young women interested in a similar path.

Finally, Sara recalls some of her favorite memories, both at Penn State and in sports media in general, including some of her favorite interactions. 

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are joined by Onward State sports editor William Hutchinson Pegler, III to chat about the recent activity for Penn State Men's Basketball.

Will first breaks down the recent head coaching hire of Micah Shrewsberry, a former associate coach from Purdue. He speculates what this could mean for the program moving forward. 

Next, Will discusses the transfer portal and the half-dozen players that have entered this past week. He reassures us that this does not mean that they are definitively leaving, and that Penn State hoops is not going up in flames. 

Finally, we chat about potential landing spots for former head coaches Patrick Chambers and Jim Ferry. Both have impressive resumes and are being discussed as potential candidates for coaching vacancies.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, host Samuel Brungo is joined by sports editor William Hutchinson Pegler, III to chat with legendary Penn State Running Back, Bill Belton.

Bill starts the show talking about his recruiting process and what it was like being recruited by legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno after having previously being committed to Pitt. During his time at Penn State, Bill was one of the few players who played for all four coaches of this century, Joe Paterno, Tom Bradley, Bill O'Brien, and James Franklin. He talks a bit about what it was like to play during that time and for different coaches. 

Being in a crowded running backs room at times, Bill discusses how he dealt with competition, injury, and a position switch. With such a community feel on the Nittany Lions, he talks about his "Supa Six" friend group, and what that means to him.

Being a member of the team during the dark days in 2012, Belton recalls what it was like to be part of that program at that time, the legacy that it holds, and why ultimately led him to stay at Penn State amid sanctions and penalty-free transfers. 

Belton is best known for his 90+ yard touchdown and his 4OT walk off against Michigan and he gives us a breakdown on what those two plays meant to him and how they unfolded.

Finally, Bill tells us about his transition from playing in the NFL to his current job, coaching. As offensive coordinator of his Alma Mater, Belton talks about his reunion with Christian Hackenberg and how the two of them can really help influence their young team.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

Now that's Hockey Talk!

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Matthew Paolizzi and Samuel Brungo are joined once again by guest host Jordan Mansberger and Onward State Men's Hockey Beat Writer Francois Marzano.

To start off his pod debut, Frankie tells us about the unusual season for Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State Men's Hockey team including a month long break courtesy of COVID-19. He chats about the emergence of Oskar Autio as a replacement for Peyton Jones, the streakiness of their play, and some of the new faces that have been impressing so far during their time in Hockey Valley. 

Before Frankie leaves us to go watch the Rangers lose to the Penguins, he gives us a quick look at what we can expect this coming weekend for the 2021 Big Ten College Hockey Tournament and the teams realistic chances of making the NCAA Tournament. Penn State will match up against Notre Dame on Saturday, March 14th in a noon puck drop.

Finally, to close out the show, Jordan gives us a little preview for what to expect during Penn State Basketball's tournament run, starting Wednesday, March 10th against Nebraska. SPOILER: have no expectations because this team is all over the place. 

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes, Penn State sports legends Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, DJ Newbill, and many more. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

Live from Happy Valley, it's Podward State!

On this episode, hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are joined once again by guest host Grace Cunningham with special guest, 10-Time Emmy winner, Saturday Night Live Director, and Penn State Alumnus Don Roy King.

King starts off the show talking about his childhood, and what led him to Penn State, including a story about playing for college footballs winningest coach, Joe Paterno. This leads him into how he used his Penn State degree to get jobs in the television industry, ultimately leading him to Saturday Night Live.

With many stories, Don talks about his experiences at Saturday Night Live including stories about producer Lorne Michaels, Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Fallon, Donald Trump, and many more other colleagues and hosts. He gives us in-depth behind the scenes look at some of the episodes, including some that won him his Emmy's.

Finally, King brings the conversation back to Penn State, talking about his time here in State College, some of his favorite spots, and his times he has been back to campus.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Director of Saturday Night Live Don Roy King, Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill, Penn State Football Legend Journey Brown, UPUA President Zach McKay, and 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, host Samuel Brungo is joined once again by Grace Cunningham to interview Penn States own alcohol expert, Anthropology Professor Kirk French.

To start off the episode, Kirk talks about his own journey, taking him from Texas, to Cincinnati, all the way to Happy Valley. He recalls how he came to find a passion for anthropology... and for alcohol. 

With part of his job is traveling the world, French reminisce some of his favorite places that he has been. French then tells the story of how him and his wife met, a true Penn State love story. 

Finally, the conversation shifts to the relationship with alcohol, focused on the upcoming State Patty's Day. He gives his advice and warnings to the Penn State students considering partaking in State Patty's festivities.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill, Penn State Football Legend Journey Brown, UPUA President Zach McKay, and 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Samuel Brungo and Matthew Paolizzi are joined by guest host Jordan Mansberger for his debut on the show. 

The conversation begins recapping THON with Onward State's Managing Editor Matt DiSanto, and Social Media Manage Ryan Parsons. The two dive into what got them interested in THON, giving an overview of this years virtual version of the event, and some of the highlights including a guest appearance from Sue Paterno.

Matt, who also covers our women's volleyball team, sticks around for a quick break from a THON heavy episode to talk about how the team is doing now, who is standing out as players, and how the rest of the season looks.

Then the boys are joined by Onward State writer and 46Live Host Producer Dana Nunemacher to chat about her role in this years Dance Marathon. She chats about how she grew up dreaming of participating in THON and how she aspires to dance next year.

Finally, we are joined by Juliet Garrigan, who worked with Dancer Wellness in 2020, leading arguably the best Line Dance to date. She served as the DJ Coordinator on the Entertainment committee for THON 2021. We chat about her past experiences with THON and what it was like this year.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill, Penn State Football Legend Journey Brown, UPUA President Zach McKay, and 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Matthew Paolizzi, and Samuel Brungo are joined by former Penn State Running Back Journey Brown, along with Onward State Sports Editor William Hutchinson Pegler, III.

Journey starts off the show talking about his recruiting process and how he got from Meadville to Penn State, including his recounts of the 2016 White Out win over Ohio State. He chats about his PA 100 meter dash record from high school and how he matches up with some of the fastest players in the program.

After being in a running backs room with players such as Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders, Journey chats about how those players shaped him to the player he is today, including a lot of behind the scenes guys as well. 

Brown the dives into a detailed step-by-step into how his Penn State career came to a shocking end as he was forced in early retirement. Journey talks about how in hindsight, getting COVID may have saved his life. 

Next, Journey reflects on his Penn State Football career, highlighting some of the most memorable games, including his grand finale in the 2019 Cotton Bowl. 

Finally, he talks about what he has planned for the future. Whether its being a coach, a trainer, an agent, or a snowboarder, Journey is just getting his feet wet in his life, and the sky is the limit.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill, Penn State Football Legend Journey Brown, UPUA President Zach McKay, and 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes. 

Podward State releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.

On this episode of Podward State, hosts Matthew Paolizzi and Samuel Brungo are joined by social media editor Grace Cunningham as a guest host. While on the show, Grace chats about asynchronous online courses and her successful plea to bring the NUTmobile to Penn State's campus.

After that, Matt, Sam, and Grace are joined by staffers Mira DiBattiste and Mackenzie Cullen to talk about THON Weekend and how it will look this year completely virtual. 

Finally, we are joined by Lady Lions beat writer Rory "Pelly" Pelella to talk about the Penn State Women's Basketball team and the season they have been having so far.

Podward State is an Onward State-produced podcast. Onward State is an independent, student-run Penn State news site that works to generate honest conversation in the hopes of enriching the Penn State community.

The show was founded by Matthew Ogden, Matthew Paolizzi, and Mitchell Stewart  in 2019. They have covered a plethora of topics and hosted numerous guests including Super Bowl Champion Jordan Hill, Penn State Basketball legend DJ Newbill, UPUA President Zach McKay, and 2018 PA Senate Candidate Ezra Nanes. 

Our podcasts releases episodes weekly and features discussions about all things Penn State, including sports, news, student life, and entertainment which will be available on Spotify and YouTube.