On this episode, hosts Samuel Brungo and Grace Cunningham start out the show going over some Penn State and State College headlines from this week with help from associate producer Jordan Mansberger and our contributors, Shannon Smith, Charlie Pegler, and Hailey Stutzman.
After that, Sam and Grace are joined by Adam Taliaferro. Adam is a former Penn State football defensive back who was paralyzed while making a tackle in 2000. After undergoing spinal surgery he was given less than a 5% chance of walking again. A few months later, he walked out of the Rehabilitation Hospital. He inspired millions of people, and 21 years he continues to inspire the Penn State Community to overcome adversity.
Adam takes us back to before his injury, diving into the recruiting and his time with Joe Paterno. After that, he talks in depth about his injury and the long recovery that followed.
Taliaferro talks about his work as a New Jersey Assemblyman and gives advice to anyone who is facing adversity in their lives.
Finally, Sam is joined once again by associate producer Will Pegler and contributor Connor Krause to recap last weekends game against Villanova and preview this Saturday’s game against Indiana.
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.
Host(s): Samuel Brungo and Grace Cunningham
Executive Producer: Samuel Brungo
Associate Producer(s): Grace Cunningham, Jordan Mansberger, Will Pegler
Audio Technician: Jordan Mansberger
Editors: Samuel Brungo and Hailey Stutzman
Contributors: Shannon Smith, Connor Krause, Charlie Pegler, Hailey Stutzman
Music: Trace McSorley - Matty Fresh, Hole in My Pocket - Mac Miller