Penn State Clips

Freshmen playing at Penn State? Bill O'Brien says if they're good enough, they'll play

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sun, 06 May 2012 08:44:39 PDT

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Video: Interview with Penn State Football Strength and Conditioning Coach Craig Fitzgerald

bob@pennstateclips.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:50:11 PDT

We're huge fans of new Penn State Football Strength and Conditioning Coach Craig Fitzgerald, though we have reason to believe he might be crazy...

In the terrific video below (courtesy of Sean Fitz of Lions247.com), Coach Fitz shows us the new weight room set-up and talks about his philosophies on training.

Coach Fitz's job is critical according to one of our contacts who had the opportunity to attend Penn State's annual coaches clinic...

"With the tempo that Bill O'Brien ran at practice, the players will need to be in excellent condition."

Original content Trader kevin, Penn State Clips

2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships: Penn State leads after Day One

bob@pennstateclips.com — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:44:51 PDT

The Penn State Wrestling team had a superb Thursday at the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships...

Penn State went 16-2 on the first day of the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships, with ten of the 16 victories earning bonus points and both losses coming to #1 seeds.

David Taylor (31-0 at 165) and Ed Ruth (30-0 at 174) led the way with two pins each.

Team Scores
Big Ten teams in bold, maximum possible score in (parenthesis)

Penn State: 38.5 (255.5)
Minnesota: 33.0 (225.0)
Oklahoma State: 28.5 (222.5)
Cornell: 27.5 (221.5)
Iowa: 26.0 (219.0)
Illinois: 23.0 (193.0)
Oklahoma: 19.5 (190.0)
Ohio State: 19.0 (189.0)
Lehigh: 18.0 (188.0)
Nebraska: 18.0 (187.5)
Northwestern: 18.0 (164.0)

Penn State's matches this morning (Session III), which will be broadcast on ESPiNU and ESPiN3.com...

Championship Bracket
125: #10 Nico Megaludis (28-7) vs. #2 Zach Sanders (29-3)
Sanders beat Megaludis in the dual and again in the Big Ten Championships, 6-2 in both matches
149: #1 Frank Molinaro (32-0) vs. #8 Eric Grajales (Michigan, 22-6)
Molinaro beat Grajales 6-1 in their only meeting this season
157: #7 Dylan Alton (28-5) vs. #2 Derek St. John (Iowa, 21-2)
Alton lost to DSJ 3-1 (Sudden Victory) at the Big Ten Championships
165: #1 David Taylor (31-0) vs. #8 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska, 32-5)
Taylor whipped Kokesh 13-3 in their only meeting this season
174: #1 Ed Ruth (30-0) vs. #9 Nick Heflin (Ohio State, 27-8)
Ruth pinned Heflin during the dual and took a Major Decision (15-7) from Heflin at Big Ten Championships.
184: #6 Quentin Wright (30-3) vs. #3 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan, 34-3)
First match this season
Heavyweight: #6 Cameron Wade (29-4) vs. #3 Clayton Jack (Oregon State, 39-1)
First meeting this season, but Wade beat Jack 9-2 at last year's NCAA Championships
Wrestle-backs
133: Frank Martellotti (9-10) vs. #6 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech, 31-4)
First meeting ever
197: Morgan McIntosh (18-9) vs. Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State, 21-13)
McIntosh beat Campolattano 5-4 in the dual and 3-1 (Sudden Victory) at the Big Ten Championships
Original content Penn State Clips

Penn State leads after Session I of the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships

bob@pennstateclips.com — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:28:48 PDT

So far, so good.

As we mentioned in our preview of the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships, it's all about bonus points.

The Nittany Lions came up big in Session I...

Penn State was 8-1 in Session I, with the only blemish being Frank Martellotti predictably losing to top-seeded Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State).

Other results:

Decision: Morgan McIntosh (197)
Major Decision: #10 Nico Megaludis (125), #1 Frank Molinaro (149), #7 Dylan Alton (157), #6 Quentin Wright (184)
Technical Fall: #6 Cameron Wade (Heavyweight)
Pin: #1 David Taylor (165), #1 Ed Ruth (174)

Team Scores (Big Ten teams in bold)
Penn State: 25.5
Minnesota: 25.0
Oklahoma State: 17.5
Cornell: 17.0
Iowa: 17.0
Illinois: 14.0
Nebraska: 12.0
Oklahoma: 12.0
Ohio State: 11.0
Wyoming: 10.5

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships preview: Can Penn State repeat?

bob@pennstateclips.com — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:57:18 PDT

Last year Cael Sanderson delivered Penn State's first NCAA Wrestling Championship in more than half a century, but now we're greedy for another one!

You can catch today's action from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on ESPiN3.com starting at Noon (Eastern).

The key for Penn State will be the same as it was for the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: bonus points.

Iowa figures to advance a lot of wrestlers through the brackets. We need to overcome their quantity with our quality.

Here are Penn State's first-round match-ups...

125, Match 24: #10 Nico Megaludis (24-7) vs. Michael Martinez (Wyoming, 24-10)
Last Season: Megaludis was wrestling in high school.

133, Match 27: Frank Martellotti (8-9) vs. #1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State, 24-1)
Last Season: Martellotti did not compete during the Spring semester due to academic issues.

149, Match 59: #1 Frank Molinaro (28-0) vs. Christopher Villalonga (Cornell, 25-10)
Last Season: Molinaro finished second at the 2011 NCAA Championships.

157, Match 87: #7 Dylan Alton (24-5) vs. Jake O'Hara (Columbia, 26-13)
Last Season: Alton took a redshirt season.

165, Match 91: #1 David Taylor (27-0) vs. Corey Lear (Bucknell, 16-9)
Last Season: Taylor was runner-up to former Nittany Lion Bubba Jenkins at the 2011 NCAA Championships.

[See video below for a video of DT, courtesy of our friend Tony Mancuso of Penn State Sports Information]

174, Match 107: #1 Ed Ruth (26-0) vs. Jim Resnick (Rider, 18-4)
Last Season: Ruth finished third at the 2011 NCAA Championships.

184, Match 134: #6 Quentin Wright (26-3) vs. Thomas Ferguson (North Carolina, 21-12)
Last Season: Wright won the 2011 NCAA Championship at 184 pounds.

197, Match 140: Morgan McIntosh (17-8) vs. Taylor Meeks (Oregon State, 19-6)
Last Season: McIntosh was a high school wrestler.

Heavyweight, Match 166: #6 Cameron Wade (25-4) vs. Quintas McCorkle (Clarion, 23-12)
Last Season: Wade went 2-2 at the 2011 NCAA Championships, falling one victory short of becoming an All-American.

Original content Penn State Clips

Video: Former Penn State great Todd Blackledge talks to Bill O'Brien

bob@pennstateclips.com — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:59:07 PDT

We are loathe to embed an ESPiN video, but we'll make an exception for Todd Blackledge.

We love that EVERYTHING is a competition...

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Nation's Top Tight End Recruit Adam Breneman Picks Penn State!

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:38:12 PST

Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien received another verbal commitment last night, the biggest one yet for the Class of 2013...

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2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Never in doubt, Penn State repeats!

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:19:41 PST

Maybe our subject line is overstating things, because there was plenty of doubt last night as we left Mackey Arena, but it all seems so obvious in retrospect...

Frank "The Tank" Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth all rolled to their second consecutive Big Ten Championships to lead Penn State to a repeat team title.

Molinaro was especially impressive, not giving up a point at the Big Ten Championships for the second consecutive year. The Tank had a pin and two technical falls in piling up valuable bonus points for the Nittany Lions.

We had a chance to chat with Frank and will post a transcript of the interview later. He offered some interesting insights about Cael Sanderson, his future, and possible lineup changes for next season.

Now it's on to St. Louis in two weeks for a possible repeat NCAA Championship!

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: The Return of the King

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:04:11 PST

If last night's theme was The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Session III was The Return of the King...

Penn State and Illinois came up huge, with bonus points for the Nittany Lions and several key victories over Iowa and Minnesota for the Illini.

Bonus point winners for Penn State were #2 Quentin Wright at 184 with a 9-0 Major Decision over #8 Ian Hinton (Michigan State) and #2 Heavyweight Cameron Wade pinning #7 Adam Chalfant (Indiana)

Meanwhile, Illinois recorded wins at 133 and 165 over Minnesota and at 184 over Iowa.
Team Standings Before Medal Round
Penn State 126.5
Minnesota 124
Iowa 116
As a reminder...

Wrestlers in Championship matches
Iowa: 6
Minnesota: 5
Penn State: 3
Wrestlers favored to win Championship (based on seeds)
Penn State: 3
Minnesota: 2
Iowa: 1

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships video: Penn State's three finalists

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:27:35 PST

After a devastating finish to yesterday's action, Penn State has just three wrestlers competing for a Big Ten Championship...

Our friend Tony Mancuso of Penn State Sports Information caught up Frank "The Tank" Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth...

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: The chapter where the wheels fall off the Penn State bus

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:01:12 PST

A funny thing happened on the way to Penn State defending it's Big Ten Wrestling Championship: They wrestled on the mat instead of a seedings bracket sheet!

It's too painful to write recaps of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Session II, so here is the Reader's Digest version...

The Good: Frank "The Tank" Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth rolled into the Championship matches with a Technical Fall and two Major Decisions respectively. The three number one seeds will be favored and all MUST win for Penn State to have a shot at repeating.

The Bad: Nico Megaludis against Zech Sanders (Minnesota) looked like exactly what it was: A true freshman against a fifth-year senior...The only upset registered by our two eight-seeds, Frank Martollatti and Brian Pearsall, was the latter taking down #7 Matt Ortega (Indiana) in the wrestle-backs...Iowa's sixth-seeded Derek St. John pulled an upset-that-wasn't over Dylan Alton.

The Ugly: The last three matches were where the wheels fell off the bus. #2 Quentin Wright wrestled an uninspired match and trailed #3 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) 3-1 in the third period. He "wrestled" passively for the last minute, despite the coaches screaming that he needed to make his move...#3 Morgan McIntosh took a 6-5 lead over #2 Matt Powless (Indiana) on an escape with 12 seconds left, then inexplicably looked the clock instead of turning the face Powless. The Hoosier quickly closed the five-foot gap between them and registered the winning takedown with three ticks left. You could have fried an egg on Cael's head at that point...#2 Cameron Wade was schooled by #6 Bobby Telford (Iowa) in a 5-0 whitewash.

This morning's commanding lead has suddenly disappeared...
Minnesota: 117
Iowa: 112.5
Penn State: 111

But all is not lost...

Wrestlers still alive, Championship and wrestle-backs
Penn State: 10
Minnesota: 9
Iowa: 8
Wrestlers in Championship matches
Iowa: 6
Minnesota: 5
Penn State: 3
Wrestlers favored to win Championship (based on seeds)
Penn State: 3
Minnesota: 2
Iowa: 1

Every point on Sunday will be critical, just as it was last year. Except this season there are three horses left in the race instead of just two.

It should be fun, check back tomorrow to follow the action.

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Video of Quentin Wright's big morning

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:08:23 PST

Defending Big Ten and NCAA Champion Quentin Wright had an interesting morning at the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships...

Wright won his first round match by pinning Luke Sheridan (Indiana) in 2:17...

Wright then used a five-point overtime throw to defeat Tony Dallago (Illinois) in the quarter-finals...

Video courtesy of Flowrestling.

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Martellotti, Pearsall advance

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:46:54 PST

The Big Ten Championship is out of the picture once you lose, but an NCAA Championships berth remains the goal for two Penn State wrestlers...

Penn State results from the consolation round...

133: #8 Frank Martellotti whipped #10 Joe Duca (Indiana) by a count of 8-2. The key move happened early in the third period, as Martellotti got a near-fall after Duca took down to start the period.

Martellotti's next opponent is #4 Christ Dardanes (Minnesota).

141: #8 Bryan Pearsall wrestled like a man possessed in a 13-2 destruction of #7 Matt Ortega (Indiana). Pearsall's 3-point near-fall as time ran out in the second period could easily have been ruled a pin.

Next up for Pearsall is #5 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska).

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Session I video

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:31:56 PST

Here is video from Session I of the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, courtesy of our friend Tony Mancuso of Penn State Sports Information...

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Penn State sends eight to semi-finals

bob@pennstateclips.com — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:33:03 PDT

Penn State continued to pile up bonus points during quarter-final action at the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, eventually advancing eight wrestlers to this evening's semi-finals...

Team scores
Penn State 79.5
Iowa 69
Minnesota 59
Complete quarter-final results for Penn State...

125: #3 Nico Megaludis defeated #6 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State) 6-2. The match was tied 2-2 after two periods, Nico looked very fresh in winning the final period.

Next opponent is #2 Zach Sanders (Minnesota). Nico lost their regular-season match-up 6-2, but it was only his second collegiate match, way back before Thanksgiving.

133: #8 Frank Martellotti was predictably dominated 13-3 by #1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State). This was actually an improvement over the regular-season result, as Stieber pinned Maretllotti in 1:38.

Next opponent is #10 Joe Duca (Indiana). The two did not wrestle during the regular season.

141: #8 Bryan Pearsall wrestled very well in dropping a 7-0 decision to #1 Kellen Russell (Michigan). Russell easily won the regular-season match 12-2. Does this bode well for Pearsall in the wrestle-backs?

Next opponent is #7 Matt Ortega (Indiana). The two did not wrestle during the regular season.

149: #1 Frank Molinaro pinned #8 Kaleb Friedley (Northwestern) in 1:28. This was Frank the Tank's first fall over a Big Ten opponent this season and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Next opponent is #4 Ivan Lopouchanski (Purdue). The two did not wrestle during the regular season.

157: #2 Dylan Alton Major Decision (15-6) over #7 Tommy Churchard (Purdue). Dylan jumped out to a 6-2 lead after one period after throwing Churchard to his back. The wrestlers exchanged takedowns in the second period, which ended 9-6. Dylan completely dominated the third period, winning 15-6 with an escape, takedown, and three-point near fall.

Next opponent is #6 Derek St. John (Iowa), a 6-4 overtime upset winner over #3 James Green (Nebraska). The two did not wrestle during the regular season as St. John ~~chickened out~~ was injured for the Iowa dual. (Kidding, we're kidding!)

165: #1 David Taylor pinned #8 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) in 1:40.

Next opponent is #5 Conrad Polz (Illinois). The two did not wrestle during the regular season.

174: #1 Ed Ruth crushed #8 Jordan Blanton (Illinois), a 2010 All-American. Ed locked up his patented far-side cradle in the second period and nearly got the fall, eventually pushing his advantage to 8-1 with a last-second take-down. The onslaught continued in the third period, with 4:58 of riding time adding the final point to a 14-2 Major Decision.

Next opponent is #4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State). Ruth pinned Heflin in 2:05 in their regular-season match.

184: #2 Quentin Wright went to overtime with #7 Tony Dallago (Illinois). Quentin won by the unusual overtime score of 7-2, nearly getting a pin before settling for a five-point throw and the sudden victory.

Next opponent is #3 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska). Wright beat Ihnen 9-6 in Lincoln.

197: #3 Morgan McIntosh also won in overtime, getting a questionable takedown call with one second left to defeat #6 Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State).

Next opponent is #2 Matt Powless (Indiana). Powless won the regular-season match 4-3 at the Southern Scuffle.

Heavyweight: #2 Cameron Wade overwhelmed #10 Steve Andrus (Michigan State), getting several near-fall turns in a 10-0 whitewash.

Next opponent is #6 Bobby Telford (Iowa), a 6-4 upset winner over #3 Ben Apland (Michigan). The two did not wrestle during the regular season.

Original content Penn State Clips

2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Perfect first round for Penn State!

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:06:31 PST

Penn State got off to a better-than expected start at the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, courtesy of Bryan Pearsall...

We're blogging live from press row at Mackey Arena, the famous basketball arena on the campus of Purdue University.

Because of the structure of tournament scoring, bonus points are significantly more important than they are for dual meets. Thus Bryan Pearsoll's quick pin of Wisconsin's Thomas Glenn at 141 gave the Nittany Lions an unexpected boost in team score.

Complete First-Round results for Penn State...

125: #3 Nico Megaludis Major Decision (12-3) over Grant Pizzo (Michigan). Nico dominated, racking up 4:45 in riding time, but wasn't able to get the turn needed for back points and a possible Technical Fall. Next opponent is #6 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State).

133: #8 Frank Martellotti had a bye. Next opponent is #1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State).

141: #8 Bryan Pearsall pinned Thomas Glenn (Wisconsin) in 1:39. Next opponent is #1 Kellen Russell (Michigan).

149 #1 Frank Molinaro had a bye. Next opponent is #8 Kaleb Friedley (Northwestern).

157 #2 Dylan Alton defeated Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota) 4-2. Dylan took a 4-1 lead after one period. Zilverberg rode the entire second period and picked neutral for the third. No scoring, Zilverberg earned a point for riding time. Next opponent is #7 Tommy Churchard (Purdue).

165 #1 David Taylor Technical Fall (20-5) over Derek Garcia (Ohio State). Taylor completely dominated Garcia and secured the Tech Fall with a flurry of takedowns and cuts, with the deciding point being a massive edge in riding time. Next opponent is #8 Pierce Harger (Northwestern).

174 #1 Ed Ruth had a bye. Next opponent is #8 Jordan Blanton (Illinois).

184 #2 Quentin Wright pinned Luke Sheridan (Indiana) in 2:17. Wright nailed Sheridan with a spectacular split scissors move. Next opponent is #7 Tony Dallago (Illinois).

197 #3 Morgan McIntosh had a bye. Next opponent is #6 Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State).

Heavyweight #2 Cameron Wade had a bye. Next opponent is #10 Steve Andrus (Michigan State).

Original content Penn State Clips

Penn State Wrestling Coach Cael Sanderson: 'Everything Up To This Point Really Doesn't Mean Anything'

bob@pennstateclips.com — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:04:27 PST

It's tournament time for collegiate wrestling!

Time for Penn State to defend its Big Ten and NCAA Championships!

Original content Penn State Clips

Penn State's Heavyweight of the Future, Jon Gingrich, Wins National Collegiate Open

bob@pennstateclips.com — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:30:51 PST

The grind of the dual meet season is finally over.

Now it's time for tournaments, beginning with this weekend's Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Purdue. Penn State Clips will be on hand to cover the action.

Cael Sanderson doesn't have the luxury of looking ahead to 2012-2013. Fortunately, we have no such restrictions...

Next season Penn State will be replacing two seniors from this year's starting line-up, top-ranked Frank "The Tank" Molinaro (149 pounds) and heavyweight Cameron Wade, who is ranked 5th nationally.

Wade's likely replacement is Jon Gingrich, who concluded his rookie campaign in style by winning the National Collegiate Open over the weekend. Gingrich finished the 2011-12 campaign 21-4.

Looking even farther ahead, we have to believe Cael & Company will be targeting Brooks Black, the nation's top-ranked high school heavyweight.

Black, a junior from Dover, Pennsylvania (York County), wrestles for Blair Academy in New Jersey, alma mater of Ed Ruth.

Another notable result from the National Collegiate Open was redshirt freshman Matt Brown finishing second to former American University All-American Steve Fittery at 174.

Brown ends a superb season with a 27-2 record, including multiple wins over ranked wrestlers at both 174 and 197. He was 5-0 in duals (2-0 in Big Ten duals) and had ten major decisions, four technical falls, and seven pins.

Brown certified at 165 pounds this season and is likely done growing, as he is now four years removed from high school.

One thought as to what might happen next season is David Taylor, Ed Ruth, and Quentin Wright each moving up a spot to 174, 184, and 197, respectively. This would create room for Brown at 174 and allow 197-pounder Morgan McIntosh to take a redshirt during Wright's senior season.

If Taylor stays at 165, perhaps Brown with wrestle at 174 with only Ruth and Wright moving up.
Original content Penn State Clips

Is new Penn State Strength and Conditioning Coach Craig Fitzgerald crazy?

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:31:17 PST

It's 35 degrees outside and new Penn State Football Strength and Conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald was (barely) dressed in shorts (shorts???), a T-shirt, and a PSU baseball hat.

Is this guy crazy?

We thought he might be after seeing this video, but it appears there's a method to Coach Fitz's madness...

Our friend Tony Mancuso of Penn State Sports Information caught up with Coach Fitz and various players for this piece on the Nittany Lions new routine...

Original content Penn State Clips

Penn State coach Bill O'Brien wants his team to compete

bob@pennstateclips.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:25:22 PST

This isn't your father's Penn State football, at least in terms of media availability.

The reporters may not enjoy 5:30 AM workouts, but we love hearing from Bill O'Brien...

We especially enjoyed this exchange...

Reporter: Looks like a lot of what you do is about competition, how important is that?

Coach O'Brien: It's really important. It's important for these guys to understand that when you walk off this field there's a winner and a loser.

When you're out here that's what it's all about. You either win or you lose and there's really no gray area in football.

We try to make it fun, but at the same time we try to make them understand who's won and who's lost.

Video courtesy of StateCollege.com...

Original content Penn State Clips

Video: Penn State Football weight training: Mano-a-mano

bob@pennstateclips.com — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:19:05 PST

New Penn State Strength and Conditioning Coach Craig Fitzgerald has introduced a new drill to ~~his victims~~ the players.

Bottom line: If you want to play football for Penn State, be prepared to compete.

Video courtesy of Fight On State...

Original content Penn State Clips

Update: Video: New Strength Program for Penn State Football

bob@pennstateclips.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:38:18 PST

Penn State coach Bill O'Brien hired Craig Fitzgerald as Director of Strength and Conditioning for Football, but he wasn't done...

Dwight Galt IV, Sean Hayes and Steven Williams, Jr. have been hired to round out Fitzgerald's Strength and Conditioning staff.

Galt IV was a member of Fitzgerald's staff at South Carolina since January 2010, serving initially as a graduate assistant (Aug.-Dec. 2010) and then as an assistant strength and conditioning coach (Jan. 2011-Jan. 2012).

Prior to South Carolina, Galt was a strength and conditioning intern under his father, Dwight Galt III, at the University of Maryland, assisting with the football, lacrosse, and baseball teams. Dwight Galt III is Vanderbilt's Football Strength and Conditioning Director.

Galt IV was a defensive lineman at Maryland from 2005-09. He started every game in 2009 at defensive end, leading all Terrapins defensive linemen with 4.5 sacks. He was a "Tough Terp" annual award recipient four times from 2005-09.

Hayes joins the Penn State staff after serving as a graduate assistant football and strength and conditioning coach at Jacksonville University since July 2010. At Jacksonville, he was the varsity outside linebackers coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator in addition to assisting with strength and conditioning program.

Like Williams, Hayes is a Harvard University graduate (2009) and played linebacker on the Crimson football team. As a senior, he garnered second team All-Ivy League recognition.

In the first six months of 2010, Hayes was a player/coach for the L'Hospitalet Pioneers of the European Football League, helping the team win the Spanish national championship (LNFA) and a top 10 ranking among all European teams.

Williams also joins the Nittany Lions from South Carolina, where he served as a graduate assistant with the strength and conditioning program since January 2011. He worked with the football, track, and soccer teams and was a graduate assistant with the Gamecocks' football team, helping coach defensive backs and special teams.

Williams participated in the Detroit Lions' mini-camp and was a teacher and assistant football coach at Wagner (Texas) High School for two years following his 2008 graduation from Harvard University.

Williams was a record-setting cornerback at Harvard from 2004-07, earning first team AFCA All-America honors. He holds the Crimson's single season (8) and career (16) interception marks and recorded 15 pass break-ups as a senior.

Williams was class valedictorian at William Howard Taft High School in San Antonio, Texas

Original content Penn State Clips

Video: New Strength Program for Penn State Football

bob@pennstateclips.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:50:31 PST

Goodbye machines, hello free weights!

Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien recently hired Craig Fitzgerald as Director of Strength and Conditioning for Football.

Fitzgerald joins the Penn State staff following three seasons as Director of Football Strength & Conditioning at South Carolina.

A Philadelphia native, his efforts were instrumental in helping the Gamecocks win a school record 11 games and posting their first Top 10 finish in the polls, working with new Penn State secondary coach John Butler.

Fitzgerald is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).

In 2010, he earned the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession with the certification of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach from the CSCCA.

Original content Penn State Clips

Video: Bill O'Brien's first full day as Penn State football coach

bob@pennstateclips.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:58:09 PST

It's really odd to see someone else behind the desk Joe Paterno used for so many years...

We love Coach O'Brien's enthusiasm for recruiting.

We are really looking foward to not just the 2012 season, but also the Class of 2013 recruiting season.

Hats off to our friend Tony Mancuso of Penn State Sports Information for producing this video...

Original content Penn State Clips

Penn State Wrestling update: Cael talks National Duals

bob@pennstateclips.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:28:40 PST

We're heading down the home stretch of the college wrestling season.

The Big Ten Dual Meet season is over (Penn State tied for the Championship with Minnesota) and we're about a month from the Nittany Lions attempting to defend their Big Ten and National Championships...

Some have been critical of Cael Sanderson for not entering Penn State in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.

Instead Penn State will travel to Utah Valley on Saturday to fulfill a broken promise by Iowa State and will conclude the regular season at Rec Hall against Pitt on February 19.

Cael responded to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals controversy after PSU whipped Michigan on Sunday. (Audio courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).

Cael tempered his comments on the National Duals during a discussion with Penn State radio announcer Jeff Byers...

As for this past weekend's matches, we got a huge kick out of Matt Brown wrestling up two weights to get two wins at 197 in place of Morgan McIntosh, who is nursing a sore knee.

Brown talked about his experience on Tuesday at the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. (Video courtesy of StateCollege.com.)

It will be interesting to see how Cael shuffles the pieces next season.

Brown certified at 165 and will reportedly wrestle 74 KG (162.8 pounds) in freestyle this summer.

It's possible that Quentin Wright, Ed Ruth, and David Taylor will all move up a weight, making room for Brown at 165.

This would allow Morgan McIntosh to take the redshirt many expected him to take this season.

Regardless of how things shake out, the future of Penn State Wrestling is very bright indeed!

Original content Penn State Clips