Penn State is facing Notre Dame in the playoff semifinals for a chance to play for the national championship. It’s Marcus Freeman vs James Franklin. For Tyler Elsdon, the stakes hit differently. The linebacker isn’t just fighting for a championship—he’s carrying a name tied to a complicated past. Given to him by his biological parents, who gave him up as a toddler, Elsdon’s name stayed with him through foster care, adoption, and the moment he legally became a Griffin. Still, he’s kept it, a reminder of the journey that’s made him who he is.
Growing up, Elsdon always felt different and unworthy of love. With caseworkers visiting his home, brothers who didn’t look like him, and a sense of unknowing that never faded. But when Nea and John Griffin adopted him, they gave him the one thing he craved: stability. Football became his outlet, and their support gave him purpose. Now, on one of the biggest stages in college football, Elsdon plays not just for Penn State but for the family who gave him a second chance at life.
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