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Once in the Portal, Now on Scholarship

Penn State special teams standout Drew Hartlaub earned a scholarship. Watch Jack Ham deliver the news.
Mark Wogenrich|
Once in the Portal, Now on Scholarship
Once in the Portal, Now on Scholarship

Pro Football Hall of Famers aren't often invited into college football locker rooms to deliver scholarship news. Yet that happened at Penn State on Saturday.

Former Penn State linebacker Jack Ham visited the Nittany Lions after practice to make a player's year. Safety Drew Hartlaub, a key member of Penn State's special teams, had been placed on scholarship.

These scholarship videos are popular across college football, and for good reason. Hartlaub's reaction isn't even the best of this piece. His teammates clearly respect the redshirt junior from Hanover, PA, who entered his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this year.

"Jack Ham just put me on full scholarship; it's kind of still surreal to me," Hartlaub said in the video, produced by Penn State Athletics. "It's really a dream come true. I can't believe this happened. I worked for years for this and it finally came true."

Hartlaub, now a former walk-on, has been a key member of Penn State's special teams for the past three years. He memorably recovered a muffed punt return against Michigan last year and made four tackles on the season. He was named Penn State's special teams player of the game at Michigan.

"Just super proud of Drew Hartlaub and how he's handled his whole Penn State experience," coach James Franklin said after the game.

Hartlaub has been considered among the team's fastest players and, as a punt gunner, was among punter Jordan Stout's best friends in downing punts. In 2018, Hartlaub was named the team's scout team special teams player of the year.

Earlier this year Hartlaub entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal but told the York Daily Record that, 'I'm not shutting the door on Penn State.

Among Hartlaub's many fans is former quarterback Trace McSorley, who celebrated the news.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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