Penn State run-on program brings important contributors, Father’s Day tale

Penn State entered November of 2022 on the heels of a particularly brutal three-game stretch that included a loss to Ohio State in the final week of October. That stretch was particularly rough on the offensive line, who lost three starters in three weeks for the season in guard Landon Tengwall and tackles Olu Fashanu and Caedan Wallace. 

The span put the group in a precarious situation for the final four games of the season. Penn State balanced burning redshirts with playing journeymen as full-time starters. It also tested the room’s depth, as James Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein scrambled to assemble a two-deep throughout the week. 

Luckily for the Nittany Lions, the team had an infusion of numbers up front prior to the 2023 season. A big part of that was a group of six true freshmen walk-ons. Late in the week leading up to Penn State’s trip to Indiana, Trautwein pulled walk-on freshman center Ian Harvie and tackle Jim Fitzgerald to the side with a message.

Be ready.

Harvie, an in-state kid just months removed from his days a Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, was the first to get the notification that he would be traveling that weekend. He had bounced between the practice squad and some occasional second-team reps with backup center Nick Dawkins on the shelf for the season. Maryland native Fitzgerald didn’t get official word until Thursday after the walk-through. His inclusion on the travel squad was so late that he didn’t make the printed edition of the travel roster handed out to the media before the game.

Fitzgerald immediately called his father, Dave, who himself played college football at Navy. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for both sides.

“He was almost speechless. Just said he was so proud of me and so excited for me,” said Fitzgerald, whose parents were able to make the trip for his time dressing on the road. “He kind of understands, because he played college football at Navy, so he’s not really new to this. He’s been there, he said he knew exactly how it felt from his first time in college. It was just really special.”

Getting on the plane the following day was just one step, however. The next would come in the fourth quarter in Bloomington. Leading 45-14 midway through the fourth quarter, Trautwein called the pair to his side. Harvie would replace Juice Scruggs at center, while Fitzgerald would take over at left tackle. 

On their first play, quarterback Drew Allar hit tight end Khalil Dinkins on a quick throw for a first down. From there, nervous excitement turned into business as usual for the two first-timers. 

“I was a bit nervous,” Harvie recalled. “But when I got in there, after the first play it was just like a regular high school game. It’s just playing. It felt the exact same. Football is football at any level. It’s just that at that level, there are better players. But it was great. I had a great time and I think I was successful in stepping up to the role.”

Harvie’s parents were unable to make the trip to Bloomington on late notice, but he touched base with his family shortly after the final whistle. 

“The first person I talked to after the game was my dad. He was ecstatic,” said Harvie. “None of them expected that to happen. I also talked to my mom right after my dad and she was just as happy. It was great to see them get so excited to see me succeed.

“For my dad, he’s been along on the journey. Him, my mom and my sister have all been in on this journey from the start, just as long as I have. They’ve seen me put in the work, they helped me with everything I needed to do. It was really special to have them as a part of it.”

The pair would go on to travel to the Nittany Lions’ final away game at Rutgers as well. By the end of the season, five of Penn State’s six true freshmen offensive linemen got into at least one game. Center Dominic Rulli, guard Sam Siafa and tackle Matthew Detisch all logged their first collegiate snaps.

They see it as a testament to the Nittany Lions’ Run-On program, which has long been considered a pillar of the team’s structure.

“Penn State’s walk-on program is great. You’ve got guys like Carl Nassib, who went from walk-on to All-American. Just having the capability to bet on yourself and take that leap, it’s something that Penn State prioritizes,” said Harvie. “We get treated the same way as the scholarship players. So if you’re thinking of doing something like that, you’ve just got to go with it.”

“I feel appreciated as a walk-on here and I feel like if they need me they’re going to call on me,” added Fitzgerald. “It’s a great thing for the program. Kids who are considering this option, which is not for everybody, you see a couple walk-ons playing in games their freshman year. They see that and think it could be them. We’re able to build on that as a walk-on program and it’s good for everyone.”