Former Penn State Altoona Student and current University Park student James Notor has begun his rise to fame as “The Sour Patch Guy.”
During the coaches radio show Notor told Penn State Football Coach James Franklin that he throws Sour Patch Kids candy to players before the game and they try to catch them in their mouths. Franklin responded with, “players are eating Sour Patch Kids during the game?” From then on Notors publicity has skyrocketed. His friend Cameron Panese started a Twitter account @PSUSourPatchGuy which has gained 301 followers and counting. Notor has even taken trips all the way to Evanston, Ill. for the Penn State vs. Northwestern University football game to keep the spirit alive and throw out some Sour Patch Kids to fans, friends, and athletes.
Twitter profile photo of @PSUSourPatchGuy
The idea of tossing candy started last year when Notor would throw candy to fans in the stands and they tried to catch the candy in their mouths.
“Popcorn is kinda hard with wind so it had to be heavier than popcorn,” he said. “And I just went to the concession stand and I was like oh, Sour Patch Kids they sound good … and it just kinda escalated from there.”
Notor has been getting much attention in and out of Beaver Stadium. “It’s pretty wild, it’s pretty nuts on campus” Notor said. Some students have started recognizing him and coming up to him in between classes. Even Franklin himself has deemed him “The Sour Patch Guy.”
Notor has also experienced a bad side to his new fame. With his recent exposure people have been “jumping on the band wagon” as Notor puts it and he is cautious of not gaining “fake friends” along the way. “You want people talking about you, but there’s also good and bad media because there are people who are in it for the right reasons and there are people who are in it for the wrong reasons,” he said.
However, Notor keeps his spirits high and looks forward to the White Out game on Oct. 21 at Beaver Stadium when the Nittany Lions take on The University of Michigan. He will be appearing at the Team Arrival at 4:30 p.m. and will also be at the White Out pep rally the Friday before the game at University Park.
James Notor and James Franklin.
Photo provided by James Notor
Notor doesn’t only throw Sour Patch Kids at football games. Penn State students can find him in the HUB somedays throwing Sour Patch Kids to students off the third floor balcony. If caught, that student will receive free Penn State Basketball season tickets.
Notor credits a lot of his success to his time at Penn State Altoona. “Without Altoona there’d be no hope for me.” Notor said “I think the exposure that Altoona gave me to athletics, like running the roar zone, gave me so much. Now I know how to be a leader and the leadership opportunities that Penn State Altoona athletics gave me was just great.”