A few weeks ago the letters M and J held no special meaning. Now, however, these letters bring to mind the athletic, blond, easy-going guy from Real World: Philadelphia. Yesterday M.J. Garrett visited Penn State. His broad smile was infectious, as was his Southern accent, while he took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions.

What brings you to State College?
I am here to promote STA Travel, which was the travel agency who booked our surprise vacation to Fiji during the show. ... Traveling is so important, especially for college age kids, because it will help people learn so much about other cultures.

Why do you think you were picked to be on Real World: Philadelphia?
This is actually a really weird story. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in May 2003. I had a good shot to play for a pro football team. After that fell through, I was thinking about living in California. While I was out there visiting, I ran into an old friend from college. She introduced me to a guy who happened to be connected to the Real World casting system. I guess it was one of those situations where I was in the right place at the right time.

What did you think of the Philadelphia area?
Philly was neat. I had never traveled up in the Northeast that much. Because of our situation and that we were followed with cameras, [people] would mob us and do anything to get on camera. I don't hold it against Philadelphia at all ... It was a really historical and artsy place.