Former Manheim Central standout chats Nittany Lions’ football

What a couple of whirlwind years for Graham Zug.

Wasn’t that long ago that Zug was catching passes on offense and intercepting passes on defense for Manheim Central.

He went from a skinny sophomore to a polished senior, making the All-State team in his final season with the Barons.

Then came his much-anticipated college decision.

Would Zug stay close to home?

Would he go I-AA?

I’ll never forget that phone call …

Me: Hello?
Zug: Mr. Reinhart, it’s Graham Zug, and I’m ready to make my college announcement.
Me: Cool, Graham. So what’s up?
Zug: I’m going to Penn State.
Me: Um, you’re what?
Zug: Yeah, Penn State – as a preferred walk-on.

What an excellent decision that turned out to be.

Zug went from preferred walk-on to a scholarship athlete last year, and this season, he’s established himself as one of the most durable, reliable wideouts in the Big Ten.

Through 12 regular-season games, Zug is second on the team with 42 catches and he leads the Nittany Lions with seven touchdown grabs.

He had three TD catches in the 35-10 win at Michigan on Oct. 24, and he had a pair of TD grabs in the regular-season finale, a 42-14 romp at Michigan State on Nov. 21.

Zug was back in Manheim last Friday night to watch the Barons beat Conrad Weiser 42-7 in a District 3 Triple-A semifinal game. It was Mike Williams’ 300th career coaching victory for the Barons, and Zug was on the field to help celebrate that milestone.

I caught up with him for a quick chat, and we talked about his career in Happy Valley, about this season and his success with the Nittany Lions, and about Penn State’s possible bowl-game destination.

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

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