Watch Eli Manning Award a Penn State Player a Scholarship
Nearly every college football team has produced a walk-on-earns-scholarship video, and they all warm the heart. Penn State went next level this week, employing two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning to deliver the scholarship news.
Manning, the former New York Giants quarterback, visited Penn State practice on Wednesday, when he announced that punter Barney Amor had earned a scholarship. Amor's reaction is priceless. Watch the video here, courtesy of Penn State.
Amor is a fascinating story on Penn State's 2022 roster. The sixth-year senior from Doylestown, Pa., joined the Lions last year as a walk-on after spending four years at Colgate. He was Colgate's starting punter in 2019, averaging 42.1 yards per attempt, with 11 of 50+ yards.
Colgate canceled its 2020 season because of COVID-19, and after finishing his second undergraduate degree, Amor transferred to Penn State. He already has earned a Master's degree from Penn State.
Amor is likely to replace Jordan Stout, the 2021 Big Ten punter of the year, in Penn State's lineup. Those shoes are big, but Amor has accepted the challenge.
"Barney has done a great job, and to echo what coach [James] Franklin spoke to, he did a great job in the spring and continued to trend in the summer," Penn State special teams coach Stacy Collins said at media day in early August. "... He's put multiple days together and he’s done a nice job."
How did Manning end up at Penn State practice? He has developed a relationship with quarterback Sean Clifford, who has been a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy the past two years.
The Lions seemed to appreciate Manning's visit, and Penn State smartly promoted across its social channels.
Penn State opens the 2022 season Sept. 1 at Purdue.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
