Former Penn State guard Landon Tengwall left football in his prime. But he will never regret it

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Every day Landon Tengwall woke up, just watch Penn State‘s Team Works app and his schedule for the day. Training, practice, meals, breaks – it was all there.

With another strong season, Tengwall, a guard for the Nittany Lions football team, was destined to be an early round pick of the NFL draft.

But suddenly that was no longer the case.

In the early stages of Penn State’s 2023 preseason camp, Tengwall suffered a concussion. It was an injury that coach James Franklin initially called “bumps and bruises,” prompting questions. A few weeks later, Tengwall decided to retire for medical reasons.

“The biggest and best piece of advice I’ve ever received is: Use the game of football before it uses you,” Tengwall told The Inquirer. “I felt like I was starting to get to the point where if I went back it might have used me more than me coming out of football.”

Tengwall has been adjusting to life after football behind the podcast he hosted Behind the wall. He says the trip was useful, but not easy.

Making the switch

Tengwall’s grandfather David Tengwall played football at Tennessee from 1966 to 1968. In the aftermath, the elder Tengwall underwent several surgeries and left Tengwall’s father, Chris, without playing. Landon saw the impact the game had on his grandfather and many others. Young Tengwall had suffered a number of concussions and did not want to become a victim as well.

“I’ve seen what it looks like when you’re 40-50 and have a brain trauma or brain injury,” Tengwall said. “I’ve seen former players talk to walls before. I was in an NFL year, but it was so much more important to me in the long run to be a good husband, a good father, a good businessman, and just be who I am and be energetic.

In addition, Tengwall began to suffer injuries. Along with the concussion, he suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder five games into his redshirt freshman season and missed the rest of the year.

Even after his retirement, football was still a life for Tengwall. Football was all he did, but he had to turn around. Tengwall then remembered something his father reminded him of.

“One thing I want to tell you is, the only thing you would talk about is what you were going to do after you were done playing football and you had money and you could go into this business venture,” Tengwall recalled. “He said, ‘It’s funny, I never thought about it, (but) you never really talked too much about being in the NFL.'”

Life after football

As Tengwall watched what could have been his NFL draft season pass him by, it was a struggle.

“I haven’t exercised in a while, I’ll say that. And anyone who knows me, I love sports,” Tengwall said. “People always said I was on steroids.”

Tengwall graduated from Good Counsel High School OlneyMaryland, as a four-star recruit, standing at 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, he was listed as the No. 1 player in Maryland.

When Penn State finished the 2023 season with a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Peach Bowl, Tengwall, a journalism major, began his new life as a non-athlete. He used his experience to secure radio appearances and eventually regular appearances on the Fox television station serving State College in an effort to build his brand.

Tengwall’s mother, Nicole Busse, knew he was capable of this career when he served his senior year.

“I remember saying to him, ‘Landon, you have the best personality. I can totally see you on TV as a sports channel,” Busse said. “It was just kind of a motherly instinct that said to me, I could really see him doing it and being really successful at it.”

Now he has over 2,000 YouTube subscribers to his podcast. He’s done film sessions, sit-downs and even an Eagles eating contest Super Bowl champion and former Nittany Lions guard Stefen Wisniewski.

A new niche

Tengwall’s new ventures will allow him to learn about Penn State football history and talk about athletes in a new light.

He recently set up a GoFundMe for walk-on kicker Ryan Barker, who scored the game-tying field goal in Penn State’s 33-30 win against Southern Cal on Oct. 12.

Tengwall will graduate in December and has prepared herself for a big next step. He has taken advantage of his connections, some of which he credits to Franklin and Penn State for preparing and supporting him, even continuing to honor his scholarship and stay in touch.

Franklin acknowledged Tengwall’s ability to connect with players but took no credit, claiming he could tell Tengwall was destined for success.

“It seems like he’s carving out a nice niche for himself,” Franklin said. “We are not surprised at all. I think he has a very, very bright future.”