James Franklin Expresses Discomfort Over Reporter’s Question Today

suppruser October 11, 2023January 16, 2024 0 Comments Expresses, James Franklin

On Tuesday afternoon, Penn State’s head coach, James Franklin, had a conversation with reporters, and it quickly became one of the most memorable moments of his coaching career. During the discussion, a reporter asked if the team had considered calling some aggressive plays for their quarterback, Drew Allar, even when the wide receiver is tightly covered.

Quite the scene from #PennState Football HC James Franklin’s press conference this week ☠️ pic.twitter.com/5NDvegIh4s
— Happy Valley Insider (@PennStateRivals) October 10, 2023

Franklin was visibly taken aback by the question and struggled to respond. He expressed his confusion, saying, “I’m not sure I understand what you’re suggesting, because we would never just have our quarterback throw the ball deep without any consideration.” He added, “I don’t even comprehend what you’re proposing; it’s as if you’re speaking from another planet.”

Franklin emphasized, “We have never employed such a strategy, where you just throw the ball deep and hope for the best. You’re making me uncomfortable; I don’t know what you’re getting at. We’ve never entertained that idea — not as a head coach, an offensive coordinator, or even when I coached receivers. I never encouraged that approach. So, the answer is a resounding no.”

It’s worth noting that this season, the Nittany Lions have struggled to produce plays that go for more than 40 yards, which might have been the basis for the reporter’s question. However, the way the question was presented left room for misinterpretation.