Podward State

S4E19 - Franco Harris

May 10, 2021 Podward State Season 4 Episode 19
Podward State
S4E19 - Franco Harris
Show Notes

On our big season four finale, hosts Matthew Paolizzi and Samuel Brungo are joined by associate producers Jordan Mansberger and Will Pegler to interview NFL Hall of Famer and Penn State Football Alumnus, Franco Harris. 

Franco starts the show talking about his journey to Penn State, his draft story, and the beginning of his young Hall of Fame NFL career. This includes stories about playing in high school, college, and professionally as well as his recruiting battles, conversations with Joe Paterno, and his fun draft day story.

Harris then talks about some of the influences and role models he has had in his life, leading him to talk about his commitment to service and to the communities he is involved in. This includes business ventures and outreach such as his involvement with Super Bakery, a nutrition bakery for school children and the Park’s Sausage Company in Baltimore, which was the first African American owned business to go public in the United States.

Franco talks about being inducted into the Hall of Fame and what it means to him. Wrapping up his interview, Franco talks about Penn State football and how he thinks the program is heading in the right direction, noting its 2021 draft class (including the Steelers 2nd Round Pick that he announced, Pat Friermuth). 

Finally, we bid farewell to our Co-Founder and Host, Matt Paolizzi. With parting words, Pao tells the story of how Podward State came to fruition from an idea to a multi-platform show interviewing some of Penn State and State College's biggest names. This show would not be where it is today without him, something we are forever grateful for. 

Thank you, Pao.

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 Franco Harris, Tom Verducci, Lisa Salters, Don Roy King, Jordan Hill, Journey Brown, Bill Belton, Adam Breneman, 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.