Penn State Smeal MBA student excels on special teams, on field and in class

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Like many of his Penn State football teammates, Gabriel Nwosu is used to early wake-up calls, usually rising before dawn. Unlike those teammates, Nwosu will sometimes meet with his  MBA cohort at 5:30 a.m. before getting in a lift around 6.

The Nittany Lions’ fifth-year senior punter and kickoff specialist is working toward his third degree in the Smeal College of Business. After completing his undergraduate degree in supply chain management in three years, Nwosu earned a master’s in supply chain management this past spring before deciding to return for a final season of football and a one-year MBA. With support of advisers in both Smeal and the Morgan Academic Center and a peer group that has accommodated his demanding schedule, Nwosu has taken advantage of an academic opportunity few student-athletes have ever experienced.

“Walking into college, I thought I was just going to get my undergrad degree, be here for four years, and go into the work world,” Nwosu said. “I never thought any of this would be possible.”

A native of Derwood, Maryland, Nwosu joined the Nittany Lions in the summer of 2021 and redshirted his freshman season. He was drawn to supply chain because of his interest in the food and beverage industry, and motivated to excel in the classroom by a family that places a high emphasis on education. His father, Chukwuemeka “Chuck” Nwosu, completed his undergraduate education in two years and was a family medicine doctor for more than 20 years in Maryland before his death in 2022. Nwosu’s sister, Christine, and his brothers, Phillip and Noah (who played football at Amherst College and Syracuse, respectively), have all earned master’s degrees.

“My dad was very adamant about education,” Nwosu said. “If you see an opportunity, I don’t see why you don’t take it. That’s always been my motto. I think the more education on your resume, the better, especially when you’re getting something as prestigious as a master’s.”

Nwosu, who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022, 2023 and 2024, worked ahead on his undergraduate degree, and when it became evident he would likely complete it in three years, started talking with Associate Director of Football Academic Support Services & Academic Counselor Todd Kulka about working toward additional degrees.

“Gabe’s a highly competitive student. He’s looking to maximize his time as both an athlete and a student-athlete,” Kulka said. “He’s talented and detail-oriented and very mature.”

Nwosu said the module format of the One-Year MBA program — two seven-week modules in both fall and spring — has been challenging but “a lot of fun,” and credits his classmates with working with his schedule, which often includes weekends on the road with the football team.

“My group has been very flexible with me,” he said. “I let them know when it’s going to take me some time to get to a project. So far everything’s gone smoothly.”

The lessons Nwosu has learned about teamwork during his four-plus years with the Nittany Lions have been applicable to his coursework, he says.

"We have a class called Team Process and Performance and they talk about how everyone has different goals,” he said.

Nwosu said he sees parallels between those lessons and his real-life experiences on the Penn State football team.

“I’m working with teammates who could be a top draft pick or somebody who is doing it just because they love football,” he said. “I get to experience people from cultures all over the world. Having that experience has led me to connect with people easier, which has been very beneficial. I’ve built so much confidence in myself, and then not only that, confidence in my peers.”

In turn, Nwosu’s experience being part of a large team has been instructive for his classmates.

“The insight that comes from those examples provided by Gabe because he’s on the football team is important,” said Nicholas Excellent, an MBA student in Nwosu’s cohort. “It helps connect the dots a lot in certain projects or even when we’re trying to understand certain core concepts.”

David Huff, clinical professor of supply chain management and director of Online Graduate Programs in Supply Chain Management, taught Nwosu in a pair of classes for his first master’s — one on supply chain analysis and one on operations management and demand fulfillment — and remembers him as a quiet but conscientious student.

“He was a good colleague to his fellow students and did well in the classes,” Huff said. “I’m always impressed with the athletes in our programs, Gabe included, because it’s a very demanding part of your life.”

Nwosu said he has received constant support from his adviser, Andrea Murphy-Faust, Smeal’s director of student success, and other members of the college’s advising team throughout his time at Smeal.

“Not only are they supportive on Saturdays, they check in on me to make sure my mental health is good, making sure I’m in the right classes, making sure I’m on track to do what is needed,” he said.

Nwosu, who became the Nittany Lions’ starting punter this season in addition to reprising his role as the kickoff specialist, will pursue an NFL career following the season. After that, he’s not sure yet how he plans to put his three degrees to work, though he believes his extended education has prepared him to be an effective manager.

“I always saw myself in the healthcare industry, but then I also see myself in the food and beverage industry as well,” he says. “I feel like that’s where supply chain excels the most.”

For now, he’s continuing to flip the field for the Nittany Lions with his punting and embracing his latest academic challenge the same way he has since arriving at Penn State.

“I’ve never been a big going-out type of guy,” he said. “After a game on Saturday, even after a big win, I’m back in my room doing homework. I’m enjoying the grind. I dreamed about being in a position I’m in right now, so I’m not going to let go of it.”