Manheim Central standout chats about his future with the Nittany Lions

It’s official: Dakota Royer will take his skills to Happy Valley in 2010 and play football for coach Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions.

Royer made his decision public on Thursday, when he placed a Penn State hat on his head and revealed a gray Nittany Lions’ t-shirt inside Manheim Central’s lobby in front of an overflow (and hot and steamy) crowd.

The Barons’ outstanding two-way threat picked Penn State over Pitt and Notre Dame. All three caps were placed in front of the podium, and Royer scooped up the Nittany Lions’ cap, placed it on his head and let out a big smile – much to the delight of the crowd, which cheered and started a “we are Penn State” chant.

Royer, as you can imagine, was relieved to finally make his announcement. He said he came to his conclusion about two weeks ago, and couldn’t wait for Thursday’s press conference.

I chatted with Royer a few minutes after his announcement, and we discussed his decision, his thoughts about Penn State and playing defense under Coach Bradley. We also chatted about Coach Paterno, and his journey down the long and winding recruiting trail.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.