Former Penn State football players and Barack Obama's local campaign teamed up Saturday at a political tailgate to raise awareness about civic engagement.

Traffic to the tailgate outside Beaver Stadium increased shortly before the game when former Penn State running back and NFL Hall of Famer Franco Harris arrived.

A line of students and alumni greeted Super Bowl IX's MVP as he autographed T-shirts and took pictures with fans next to a cardboard cutout of the Democratic presidential candidate. Harris said he came to the game to thank volunteers for their hard work.

"Obama brought a lot of excitement to campuses," he said.

Harris said he attended the Democratic National Convention and cast his vote for Obama, who he said strategizes well and surrounds himself with intelligent people.

Wil Santivasi (sophomore-premedicine and psychology) took pictures of Harris, who stood just a few feet away.

Santivasi said he was walking nearby and spotted Harris at the tailgate with an "Obamaville" sign above it. He said Harris' presence there shows support for the campaign and that it's nice to see people getting more involved.

"Ignorance doesn't get us anywhere," he said.

In addition to Harris, former Penn State defensive back Adam Taliaferro walked to the tailgate a few hours before game time.

After a paralyzing injury in the 2000 Ohio State game, doctors predicted he would never walk again. Eight years later Taliaferro is not only walking, but also working at a Philadelphia law firm.

An Obama supporter, Taliaferro paralleled the presidential candidate's message of hope with his own story.

"There's a lot of negativity in politics," Taliaferro said. "There was a lot of negativity with my injury but there's a lot that you can achieve that many people didn't think you could."

Taliaferro said he had never really been involved in politics, but planned to register to vote Saturday and encouraged students to do the same.

Former Nittany Lion Blair Thomas, who holds third place for career rushing yards at Penn State, said the tailgate was about interacting with people and seeing if they were registered to vote.

"People don't think so, but we're in a time of crisis right here," he said.

Thomas said he did not grow up in a wealthy area, later adding he thinks Obama is in tune with common people.

"Please get out and vote. If you don't get out and vote your voice can't be heard," he said. "Good, bad or indifferent, you can't say nothing if you didn't vote."

Former Penn State defensive end Matthew Rice and former All-America wide receiver Kenny Jackson, were also present at the event.

Sarah Jefferson (junior-microbiology) volunteered for the Obama campaign Saturday. She said the tailgate was a "fun way to get people registered without being in their faces."

Jefferson said she planned to speak with the former players, who may have more impact on alumni who might have gone to school when the players were at Penn State.

Scott Eaton, a student at State College Area High School, and his group tailgated near the Obama tent. Eaton placed a sign for John McCain so it was visible to passers by.

"We parked and put the sign up and we saw that they were setting up too," he said.

Eaton said it was just luck that placed him and his group near the event. He said a few people walked by and gave them glances but others stopped to talk.

Andrew Natalo, president of the Penn State Students for John McCain, said his organization originally planned an event for Saturday, but instead decided to pool the group's resources for the homecoming game against the University of Michigan.