Tyler Holzworth, realizing Penn State dream, makes his mark

On his official Delaware Valley University football bio page, Tyler Holzworth is listed as a 6-foot, 185-pound true freshman receiver wearing No. 23. The team photo was taken at James Work Memorial Stadium, tucked into the corner of Delaware Valley University’s modest campus just outside of Doylestown, Pa. 

Holzworth didn’t catch any passes with the Aggies as a freshman, but the experience left a mark all the same.

A taste of the game beyond his years excelling at Delaware Valley Regional High School, he was determined to follow a family history that included his mother, Nancy, a couple of aunts, and an uncle, all of whom went to Penn State. And, in the process, Holzworth would take his shot at playing football for his dream program.

“I always just dreamed of playing here and I always just envisioned myself playing here. So I knew I had to get myself here one way or another,” Holzworth said. “I just thought it was best for me to start at the DIII level and maybe transfer here and try and walk on the team.”

Making it happen

To do so, Holzworth needed to take a major leap of faith. Without having communicated with Penn State’s coaching staff before his transfer for the spring semester in January 2022, he simply kept tabs on social media for a walk-on tryout. 

Eventually, that chance came in the form of an informational meeting at the Lasch Building on February 15, 2022. Seeing his opportunity, Holzworth signed up and showed up to the meeting, then eventually showed out, impressing the Nittany Lion coaches.

“Coach Seider called me the next day,” Holzworth said. “He’s like, ‘Hey man, we’re interested in bringing you as a running back.’ I tried out as a receiver. I played mostly receiver in high school. 

“He’s like, ‘We want to bring you in as a running back.’ So I came in and talked to him for 10-15 minutes. And that’s when they told me they wanted to bring me on the team.”

Though Holzworth considers himself a speed guy, having always practiced running routes and catching the ball with his dad as a kid, the position change proved fruitful. Acclimating to the position, learning to lower his shoulder and break tackles in traffic, his versatility fit with the program as he transformed his body. Bulking up about 20 pounds, Holzworth worked to get used to the different tempo of practices, the game, and life at Penn State from what he’d previously known.

“I’ve always wanted to play here as a kid,” Holzworth said. “Compared to the DIII level, the atmosphere, of course, is different. It is the best atmosphere in college football. So going from playing on a DIII field that was the same size as my high school field, the bleachers are the same size. So a stadium with 107,000-plus, it’s a huge jump.”

Learning with others

Holzworth wasn’t alone in the transition, though.

While Penn State’s running backs room was crowded last spring with the likes of Devyn Ford, Keyvone Lee, Caziah Holmes, and two dynamic true freshmen in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, plus walk-on Tank Smith, there were examples to mold himself after. So he spent that time working to pick up applicable elements to add to his game.

“I picked up a lot,” Holzworth said. “Kaytron went to IMG, which is a really good school. He came in as a great running back. Nick had a little work to do. Nick was fast. They both play two different games. So, I can learn a lot from them. 

“Nick’s the speed guy. Kaytron is more, hit the hole. He can make a move on someone. He’s more downhill running through people. So I think I have the best of both worlds learning from each of them because they’re really similar, but they’re also very different. So I think I really have the best of both worlds.

“They’re two of the best running backs in college football, so that makes me better every day at practice.”

Through the spring, summer, and into the season, that dynamic changed as Holmes transferred, Ford stepped away from football to focus on academics, and Lee was sidelined with injury. But those changes created another opportunity. 

Tyler Holzworth takes steps

Making his debut at Beaver Stadium against Ohio, Holzworth got his first carry as a Nittany Lion late in the win. Then, with Penn State’s depth dwindling at the position later in the season, he also garnered carries at Indiana and the next week against Maryland, picking up 14 yards on three attempts in the win. Finishing out the year with two more snaps at Rutgers, Holzworth finished with six carries for 19 yards in action he couldn’t have anticipated before the season began.

“At one point, I was third-string,” he said. “It was nice knowing that I always had an opportunity to get in the game and that I was working my way up. It was just nice knowing I was working my way up.”

Now entering his redshirt sophomore season at Penn State, Holzworth intends to continue that trajectory. On Thursday, that took shape as Seider named him the winter workout winner of the day for his performance earlier in the morning. Seider wrote, “All he does is show up and work. Proud of you bud!”

Rounding into the back half of winter workouts, with spring practice quickly approaching, Holzworth wants to improve his overall game. Watching film more while analyzing his performances, both in games and in practices, including his pass protection, is paramount. All part of his dream coming to life, playing at Penn State, it’s a journey Holzworth is excited to continue along.

“Just making the next step,” he said. “Getting stronger in the weight room, faster. I’m just worried about getting faster during these February. Keep improving every day.”