A plot twist from what college football has become: A player who stayed

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — When Penn State moved a different linebacker into what had been Tyler Elsdon’s starting spot, Elsdon made a choice that doesn’t really fit into the storyline college football has been selling these days. In an era in which NIL money, more playing time and the promise of the transfer portal are a click or a phone call away, Penn State’s fifth-year senior is something of a rarity for a top program — a player not driven by cash, but who sticks around because he loves football, feels loyal to his teammates and loves his school. I never played football for myself.” Coach James Franklin said he could not describe “the impact Tyler Elsdon has had on our locker room. He’s earned everybody’s respect, and he’s done it the right way.” The coach said he’s hopeful there’s still room for players like Elsdon in a changing landscape that, under terms of the House settlement that is formalizing schools’ ability to pay players, will limit football rosters to 105 players. “I sure hope not, because I think they’re the stories that make college football so special.” The benefits of staying put By staying at Penn State instead of chasing playing time elsewhere, Elsdon wrapped up a major in health policy administration and a minor in kinesiology last summer.