Imagine being recruited by a school like Penn State since the 8 grade, only to retire from football in college. One former PSU OT, who was a high-rated recruit for Franklin and Co., sadly saw his time being cut short. Landon Tengwall’s love for Penn State remains fervent just as it was when he committed to PSU. “I’m so happy I picked it because I don’t think there is a more special football program out there,” he told Onward State. However, after suffering his 6 concussion in college football, priorities changed for Tengwall.

Now away from the gridiron for good, he is looking back on the tough turn of events. The former OT could only play a season and a half with PSU. “It was hard when I was going into my second year starting in 2023, and it was going to be a big year, possibly an NFL year for me,” Tengwall told the publication. But football is a physical sport, and there are only so many blows a player’s body can take.

“I kind of had to sit down with my family and figure out what I really wanted to do,” he said of his mindset after that 6 concussion. Tengwall played 3 games as a freshman in 2021, making his debut against Rutgers. He helped the Penn State offense pitch in 407 yards in that game. He started at LG for 5 games in 2022. During this short stint, he was also named the coaches’ Offensive Player of the Game after his performance against Auburn. Unfortunately, he missed the rest of the season after an injury.

In the spring of 2023, Landon Tengwall announced his retirement. “I decided I wanted to be a great father, a great husband, and a great businessman, all of those one day down the road, and I chose not to put football over that,” he said. Tengwall, though no longer associated with the gridiron, hasn’t strayed far away from Penn State football. He now works as a sports journalist, having his own college football show and the whole shebang.

Landon Tengwall has found his groove in CFB media

Landon Tengwall didn’t really have an idea about navigating life as a former footballer. But spending time breaking down football online gave him his start. And so began his career as a college football journalist. He started with a podcast in 2024 called Behind The Wall. He now runs a college football show with his own name. Landon Tengwall’s College Football Show now has more than 9.1K subscribers, and he also pitches in inputs for The Daily Collegian.

“I love it. I wake up every day inspired, so that it’s really exciting for me to have that again–to have that goal of working towards something. And I’m thankful and I’m blessed because I think most people, most football players don’t have that, and it takes them a long time to figure out what they want to do. And some guys never figure it out,” he told WTAJ in 2024. The former OT continues to thrive, despite having hung up his cleats.

“I think he’s doing a really nice job. I’m proud of him, and we’re not surprised one bit,” James Franklin also told WTAJ of Landon Tengwall’s success. It’s tough for any football player to retire from the sport prematurely, even if it is for something as essential as health. Tengwall’s dream of being in the NFL turned out to be an elusive one. But he refused to back down from football altogether. You’ll still find the OT talk with passion about PSU football on a mic, providing insights and analyses about the program.