Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
M A R C H 2 0 2 2 3 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M N ational Signing Day inherently car- ries a certain amount of emotion for those involved, but for Penn State head coach James Franklin and the Driver fam- ily, there was an added layer. In 2005, Franklin spent a season over- seeing the Green Bay Packers' wide re- ceivers, and one of the players he worked with during his lone year in the NFL was legendary wideout Donald Driver. When Driver's son Cristian arrives in Happy Valley this summer, Franklin will have coached two generations of Drivers. "It was really surreal" on signing day in December, Franklin said. "We all got emotional. Mom and dad got emotional talking about that. The fact that they feel strongly enough to trust their son to not just go down the street but go far away and come to Penn State and play for me, and to be able to coach dad and now son, is really special." The younger Driver attended Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas, and is a four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, which ranks him as the No. 289 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle. Driver played on both sides of the ball in high school, but he'll play safety at Penn State — at least to start off. "There is still flexibility there," Frank- lin said. "You never know what the fu- ture holds. We initially offered Driver as a defensive back, and then he felt like he wanted to play wideout. And then about halfway through the season, he texted and said, 'Hey, I'll trust the coaches and I'm open to playing anything. Excited about playing defensive back.'" Listed by Penn State at 5-11, 185 pounds, Driver twice was named Liberty Christian's most valuable player. A four- time all-state selection in high school, he received invitations to play at the Navy and Grey All-American Game, as well as the Under Armour All-America Game. As a senior, he made 56 tackles and broke up six passes while playing for for- mer Dallas Cowboys great Jason Witten. "I wish I could have a team of 22 Cris- tian Drivers," Witten said. "He is a well- raised kid, with a desire to be great." As you would expect for such an ac- complished player at the high school level, Driver received plenty of interest. Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan all offered, as did local power- houses Texas and Texas A&M. He accumulated more than 40 scholar- ship offers, including one from Penn State that dates all the way back to November 2018. The Nittany Lions were the only pro- gram to earn an official visit from Driver, which he took on June 18 of last year. He gave Penn State his verbal commitment about a month later. "I could say so much about Penn State and why that's the school for me, but the one thing I really liked was the family that they have there, the brotherhood," Driver said. "It's not about the individual there, it's about the team. They don't have names on the back of their jerseys. People know you there based on your number, not your name, because it's not about you. It's about the team. That's where 'We Are' comes from." ■ Driver excelled on both sides of the ball at Liberty Christian in Texas. The four-star prospect will begin his Penn State career at safety. PHOTO COURTESY DRIVER FAMILY Family Ties Help Penn State Land Cristian Driver DAV I D E C K E R T | D AV I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M CRISTIAN DRIVER S | 5-11 | 185 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN HIGH FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 289 28 46 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 56 88 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 173 12 31 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 11 49 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 27 46 STATISTICS • Totaled 56 tackles and six pass deflections as a senior. • Made 81 tackles, five pass deflections during his junior season. • Had 76 tackles, two interceptions, six pass deflections as a sophomore. • Had 67 tackles and two interceptions as a freshman. NOTABLE • Was a two-time team MVP at Liberty Christian. • Invited to play in the Under Armour All-Amer- ica Game. • Received all-state honors following all four of his varsity seasons, including three first-team selections. • Son of former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl wide receiver Donald Driver. RECRUITMENT • Totaled more than 40 scholarship offers. • Committed to Penn State on July 29, 2021. • Chose the Nittany Lions over Wisconsin. • Officially visited PSU on June 18, 2021. 2022 PROJECTION Expected to begin his college career at safety rather than wide receiver, the other position at which he excelled in high school, Driver is likely to redshirt in 2022. THEY SAID IT Jason Witten, Liberty Christian head coach: "Penn State is getting a special player and an even better person. He has all the tools to compete at the highest levels." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Driver is a carbon copy of his father, Donald Driver, in so many ways. He's an agile, explosive athlete with great short-area burst. As a receiver, this means he eats up cushion and can get by defensive backs with ease. As a safety, it makes him a heat-seeking missile of a tackler."