Blue White Illustrated

value that translates to our players from that. I also like the tree that he's come up under of O-line coaches. I think they do it the right way, so I think that helps. Although he's a young guy, he's got pretty good experience and he's come up under the right people. I just think on the O-line, we're in a really good place cul- turally – their buy-in, their work ethic, all those types of things. I like what Phil is doing with our offensive line. And the other thing, just talking to our guys, I was down in the weight room the other day, and Rasheed [Walker], he's just in such a good place. And talking to the strength staff, and talking to the players, the way he's working, the way he's lead- ing, he and [Mike] Miranda are the two guys who are leading that unit in a really positive, aggressive way right now. BWI The secondary didn't have a lot of takeaways last season. What caused that, and do you feel like the pieces are in place to improve this year? FRANKLIN I put sacks in there as well. When you're ahead and scoring a lot of points and people feel the pressure to keep up with you, they throw the ball more, which creates more sacks [and] more opportunities for interceptions. I think those things go hand-in-hand. Some of those interceptions are based off of pressure, and then some are just mak- ing sure that our guys are prepared. When an opportunity comes, you've got to capi- talize on it. So whether that's being on the JUGS machine all off-season, whether that's being out doing fieldwork, those are just such valuable, game-changing plays from a defensive perspective. When they happen, you've got to make them. I think back to my first couple of years here, all the way back to my time at Van- derbilt. I think about plays where at the end of the game, you've got a chance where the ball was thrown to you. I've got two very specific ones here at Penn State that I think of when the ball was thrown to us and we catch it and the game's over. Then a few plays later, we give up a touchdown pass and lose, and there are two more wins that we really should have. I'm not talking about a tough interception. I'm talking about, the game's over. Those two games really stand out in my mind. So it's just making sure that the defen- sive personnel understand when you have an opportunity to get a turnover or a fumble, when the ball is on the ground, are all 11 people running to the ball? When the ball is on the ground, some- body [needs to be] in position. You think about the Grant Haley play against Ohio State [in 2016]. You always have a rush side on a kick block, whether it's a field goal or whatever it is, and then on the other side you have someone who literally is not going to block the kick. They're there to scoop and score. It's a little, small deal, but if Grant Haley doesn't do his job, which is to keep con- tain and be in position for a scoop-and- score, he doesn't make the play. And as we both know, that was the fastest kicker in the country, because Grant Haley could run. But my point is, if Grant is not in a perfect position, he probably doesn't score there. It's about everybody doing their job so that when the opportunity presents itself, you can take advantage of it. ■ S P O R T S B U S I N E S S Penn State's NIL plan puts focus on student-athlete education Penn State student-athletes will be aided in their pursuit of name, image and likeness deals by a program called "STATEment," the school's athletic department an- nounced on July 1. INFLCR and Spry are a pair of compa- nies the school has partnered with to help players under- stand and elevate their brand, educate them on the NIL process and serve as a hub for disclosure notices, among other things. A news release added that student- athletes will have access to Happy Val- ley LaunchBox and the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center, as well, to help learn about the many factors that go into profiting off of their popularity. The goal is to have a focus on "meaningful education pro- grams and an emphasis on entrepre- neurship." Schools across the country are rolling out similar plans, as the race is on to help current players ink deals and show future recruits what their earning po- tential could be. In a released statement, athletic di- rector Sandy Barbour said Penn State's goal has always been "preparing our students for a lifetime of impact." She said that providing athletes with the freedom to pursue sponsorship oppor- tunities "will allow them to explore entrepreneurship and develop skills which they will carry with them long beyond their time at Penn State. "For many years, we have had a com- prehensive educational program for our students when they arrive on cam- pus, and STATEment's educational components are an extension of that program," she added. "We want to in- spire our students' entrepreneurial spirit and help them understand the impact their brand has using enhanced education as key part of STATEment. Penn State's brand and 700,000 living alumni are huge advantages for our | BARBOUR

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