Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Landon Tengwall's promising college career came to an end in August, just as it appeared to be revving back up. A projected starter at left guard heading into his redshirt sophomore season, Tengwall revealed on Aug. 30 that he had been forced to medically retire from the sport. In a statement issued via X (formerly Twitter), he thanked head coach James Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Traut- wein, among others, and admitted that it was going to be difficult to leave his playing career behind. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my retire- ment from football," Tengwall wrote. "Unfortunately, I have sustained an injury that will not allow me to safely continue to play the game I love and that has given me so much. "I want to thank my family, my friends, Coach Franklin, Coach Trautwein, my teammates and all the Penn State coaches and staff. They have all provided invaluable sup- port through this difficult time. "Penn State will always be my home. I will always be a proud Penn State football player. Penn State has the great- est fans in the world, and I want to thank all of you for supporting me during my time on the field and now in my next chapter." The 6-foot-6, 317-pound guard had been on the Nittany Lions' radar since early in his high school playing career in his native Maryland, where he was identified as one of the top young offensive line prospects ever to come out of the state. At Good Counsel in Olney, the school to which he transferred after starting out at St. Vincent Pallotti, he developed into a four-star prospect in the 2021 class, earn- ing notice as the No. 72 overall prospect, No. 10 offensive tackle (he later switched to guard) and No. 4 player in Maryland in the On3 Industry Ranking. At Penn State, Tengwall played in four games as a true freshman and started five games at left guard the follow- ing year before a shoulder injury he suffered in pregame warmups at Michigan put him on the shelf for the remain- der of the season. Tengwall returned to practice in the spring and battled redshirt junior JB Nelson for the left guard spot. He entered preseason camp as the favorite to win the job, but his injury brought an end to the competition. Nelson, a 6-foot-5, 334-pound lineman originally from Pittsburgh, joined the Lions before the 2022 campaign after starting out at Lackawanna Col- lege. He went on to play in four games last fall and was under consider- ation for additional playing time when injuries began to erode the Lions' depth up front. The coaches ultimately decided not to squander a year of his eligibility. Franklin said that even before Tengwall's injury, Nelson had been ex- pected to see plenty of snaps this fall. "We went into this year feeling like JB was going to factor in, either as a starter or getting starter-type reps," the coach said. "That's how I viewed it coming into the season. "He's built on that. His habits are a lot better in terms of how he prac- tices, approaches meetings, and everything else. You can make the argu- ment he may be our most physical offensive lineman. I know talking to our defensive linemen, they've got a ton of respect. We expected him to play a significant role this year." That said, Tengwall is a significant loss. Originally recruited by Trautwein and since-departed tight ends coach Tyler Bowen, the Maryland standout was a key player in the 2021 class. He chose the Nittany Lions over Notre Dame and a host of other schools that included Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee. Tengwall's paternal grandfather, Da- vid Tengwall, had played football for the Volunteers in the late 1960s. Franklin said in August that even though his playing career is over, Teng- wall is likely to stay involved with the program in some capacity. "I think you'll be seeing Landon around here, hopefully pretty soon," Franklin said. "We're going to be as supportive as we possibly can. This is a hard thing, as you can imagine. He's been playing football his entire life. "This is a major life change," the coach added. "Take some time, and then I think you'll see him, whether it's coaching, or recruiting, or strength and conditioning. At the end of the day, he's a part of our family. Always has been, always will be, and that will never change based on the circumstances." — Sean Fitz After an injury ended his redshirt freshman season prematurely, Tengwall was back in action in the Blue- White Game this past April. But another health setback in preseason camp forced him to bring an end to his football career. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Landon Tengwall Lauds Penn State's Support After Announcing Medical Retirement