Penn State began spring practice on March 17th under new head coach James Franklin. He is ready for some football, “We can’t allow that this is the first practice to use that as an excuse for us to not go out and fly around.”
Franklin attacks everything with energy and enthusiasm. No surprise to hear he will conduct 15 spring practices in less than four weeks the very same way. Franklin adds,
“They understand that when they hit the field, they are running. there is never any walking on the field, ever. I told them the first day that if you don’t know where to go or what you’re doing when the for blows, then sprint in a circle until you figure it out.”
There have been some position changes, mainly to address the lack of depth on the offensive line. He’s the third head coach at Penn State for a bunch of these players so Coach Franklin’s number one priority is to develop a rapport with the current guys, he says, “Our practices will now be open for the parents. I don’t think that’s ever been the case before and we want to do this together, we’re going to need their support as well. We’re not a goal oriented team, but if I had to say one, if I had one, it’s about the relationship and the chemistry and the trust with the kids.”
Coach Franklin attended a football camp here at Penn State. He said he wasn’t good enough to play for the Nittany Lions but his dream of being on the field at Beaver Stadium will come true on April 12th for the Blue-White Game.