Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford opens up on being a kid from Ohio playing against Ohio State

For Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, playing in the Big Ten on one of the biggest stages in college football means a little extra. Clifford, an Ohio native, spoke on Always College Football with Greg McElroy about his midwestern roots and what it means playing against Ohio State.

“Across the Big Ten you see deep, deep love for the community and the team you’re a part off, for me I was born actually in Barrington, Illinois right outside Chicago,” Clifford said. “A lot of my family’s from Chicago the Illinois area and then we moved to Cincinnati when I was young, so my family wasn’t developed Ohio State fans. But living in Cincinnati I learned what that meant obviously. So it didn’t really affect my recruitment, it didn’t really affect my thought process because I wasn’t a true Cincinnati affiliate straight to Ohio State type guy, but it’s the same as Penn State.”

Clifford may not have a huge emotional connection the Ohio State, but still lives for playing in one of the most storied rivalry games in all of college football.

“If you grow up in Pennsylvania, you know where you’re going and that’s Penn State, you know if you’re smart, but at the same time I think that it’s been a humbling and blessing to be able to be able to play on big stages in general. When you click on the Penn State Ohio State game everybody’s talking about it and that’s what I live for,” Clifford said.

With his name in the top five of many of the Penn State school record books, Clifford will definitely have the opportunity to fully cement his legacy this year, as he continues live out his childhood dreams and wear his love for Penn State and college football on his sleeve.

“When I was growing up I was looking at quarterbacks like yourself (McElroy) just wishing to be in those big games with all the lights on and playing in front of millions of people and to be able to do that now with a school that I love so much and have so much passion and drive for with teammates that I love in addition, it makes Saturdays so much more special than I could have ever dreamed of when I was just a ten year old watching TV,” Clifford said.

The Nittany Lions open up the season on the road versus Purdue September 1.