Taylor Washington is the epitome of the saying “faith, family and football.” Washington, a defender for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, is an ever-smiling New Yorker. He grew up in the town of Somers with his mother Jane and father Marc. His family has been by his side throughout his blossoming football career. They supported Washington all his life, from his days at FC Westchester US Soccer Development Academy Team to his current club. “My family and I are extremely close,” ... Read More
Searching the Heavens: Finding meaning in football, family
Spring football game can be genuinely boring. For us media members, it's often tough to find something to write about following the game — unless, of course, something dramatic or drastic happens. This year's edition of the Penn State Blue-White game featured an opportunity for media members to take part in an on-field punt catching competition at halftime. Yours truly signed up for the opportunity in hopes of, well... enjoying the experience. As soon as Nittany Lions head coach James ... Read More
Kay Banjo almost quit soccer — now he’s a forward for the Riverhounds
Kay Banjo almost gave up on soccer. Almost. “I was struggling, an injury occurred, and my way of thinking at the time wasn’t good,” Banjo says. “I just felt like people weren’t there when I needed them. But a lot of things change, and I thank God and my family for staying with me.” Banjo, who struggled to find a college that would accept him, recently made his first professional start as a forward for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who he signed with in November 2016. In his first ... Read More
O jogo bonito: Brazilian-born Victor Souto’s story of futebol — and soccer
Victor Souto started playing football when he was five. Yes, football. No, there weren't any shoulder pads or helmets involved. Souto was born and raised in Brazil, where “futebol” (American soccer) is at the heart and soul of the nation. The country is a haven for “o jogo bonito” (“the beautiful game), football players — think: Pelé, Ronaldinho, Marta — and fans. It's a place where instead of dreaming of being the next Tom Brady, kids dream of being the next Neymar and making a living ... Read More
Pirates, Cardinals to play special game in Williamsport as part of LLWS
Thursday morning, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced plans for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals to play a special regular season game in conjunction with the 2017 Little League World Series on Sunday, August 20th. The game, originally slated to be played at PNC Park, will instead be played at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Penn., just a few miles up the road from where the Little League World Series ... Read More
Sidney Crosby adds to his legacy with 1,000 career points
It's no secret that Sidney Crosby will end up as one of the best players to ever wear a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. Bringing two Stanley Cups to the Steel City, at the time being named the youngest captain in NHL history and now becoming the 86th player in league history to score 1,000 career points after Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, Crosby is continually adding to his impressive resume. Not only is Crosby the Penguins sixth player to reach the 1000-point milestone, the ... Read More
No. 1 Penn State wrestling captures outright Big Ten dual meet championship
Cael Sanderson's Penn State Nittany Lions rode five straight pins to a 45-6 victory over Maryland on Sunday afternoon in Rec Hall to capture their fourth Big Ten regular season (dual meet) championship. The victory over the Terrapins vaulted the No. 1 ranked Nittany Lions to 13-0 on the season and 9-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State got off on the right foot with a technical fall decision at 125 pounds as Nick Suriano took down Maryland's Michael Beck. But, at 133 pounds, things got rocky for the ... Read More
James Franklin lands best recruiting class of tenure with PSU’s 2017 class
As the clock neared 2:30 PM EST on Wednesday afternoon, head coach James Franklin and his Penn State Nittany Lions football program had all but sealed their recruiting class for 2017. With the addition of four-star defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields, Franklin and company put the finishing touches on a recruiting class that boasts three four-star recruits and one five-star recruit in the secondary alone. During the sanction era, the three years prior to Franklin taking over as head coach ... Read More
Best tweets from the AFC Championship Game
Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game by a score of 37-16. In case you feel like laughing instead of crying, here are the game's best tweets: 1. These boring NFL semifinal games prove Penn State should’ve been selected instead. — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) January 23, 2017 2. Me when someone tries to cut the line at Chipotle. https://t.co/lfYlzlosRa — Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) January 23, ... Read More
5 keys to Pittsburgh beating New England in AFC Championship Game
For the first time since the 2004 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots will face off in the AFC Championship Game with kickoff set for 6:40 p.m. EST at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Patriots have certainly had the Steelers' number in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era (New England holds a a 9-2 record in meetings with Brady under center), but the Steelers — on a nine-game winning streak — come in as the hottest team in the NFL. There are plenty of things that ... Read More