Penn State Sports Magazine
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3 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Navy. It was a once-in-a-lifetime mo- ment for both men. "He was almost speechless," Fitzgerald recalled. "He just said he was so proud of me and so excited for me. He kind of understands, because he played college football at Navy, so he's not really new to this. He's been there, and he said he knew exactly how it felt from his first time in college. It was just really special." Getting on the plane the follow- ing day was just one step, however. The next would come in the fourth quarter in Bloomington. Penn State was lead- ing 45-14 when Trautwein called Harvie and Fitzgerald to his side. Harvie would replace Juice Scruggs at center, while Fitzgerald would take over at left tackle. On their first play, backup 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 bet- ter players. But it was great. I had a great time, and I think I was successful in step- ping up to the role." Harvie's parents were unable to make the trip to Bloomington on short notice, but he spoke with his family soon after the final whistle. "The first person I talked to after the game was my dad. He was ecstatic," Har- vie said. "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 every- thing I needed to do. It was really special to have them as a part of it." The pair also traveled to the Nittany Li- ons' final road game of the season at Rut- gers. By the end of the campaign, five of Penn State's six true freshman offensive linemen had gotten into at least one game. They see it as a testament to the Nit- tany Lions' walk-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 your- self and take that leap, it's something that Penn State prioritizes," Harvie said. "We get treated the same way as the scholar- ship players. So, if you're thinking of do- ing 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 go- ing to call on me," Fitzgerald added. "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." ■ Before coming to Penn State in 2022, center Ian Harvie was a three-year letterwinner at Spring-Ford High in Royersford, Pa. He won first-team all-conference honors in the Pioneer Athletic League following his junior and senior seasons. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER "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. We get treated the same way as the scholarship players." I A N H A R V I E