Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
1 6 M A Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State needed to make a later-than-usual coaching hire when Ja'Juan Seider left for Notre Dame in February after spend- ing seven years mentoring the Nittany Lion running backs. James Franklin had to move quickly, and that's exactly what he did, hir- ing Stan Drayton on Feb. 14, just five days after Seider's departure for South Bend. Franklin called Drayton "the best running backs coach in col- lege football." The Cleveland native had spent the previous three seasons as head coach at Temple, but he's now back doing what he's been best known for throughout his career: helping ball car- riers reach their full potential. Drayton has inherited a pair of proven performers in seniors Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and has "done a good job connecting with the room," Franklin said in April. "That was going to be a challenge. They'd had the same run- ning backs coach their entire career," Franklin added. "Those changes are hard, but they seem to be embracing it, and so has Stan. There are some wonderful aspects to [being a head coach], but it also takes you away from the thing you fell in love with in the beginning, which is coaching the guys and having your own position. I think he's enjoying that." Drayton recently sat down with reporters to discuss his transi- tion to PSU and his early impressions of the Lions' backfield. QUESTION: What have the past few months been like getting to know and working with Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton? DRAYTON: "We worked on just building a relationship, a level of trust, day by day. That's something that is earned. They just wanted to make sure that I was a guy who can get them to where they wanted to go. They had a lot of things to work on. They've had a lot of production around here, but there are still a lot of things to work on. They've been very intentional about their approach." QUESTION: Nicholas Singleton has said he wants to focus on being more creative and improving against the third level of the defense. How can he do that? DRAYTON: "I just think that we can eliminate some hits on these guys when they have a little bit more awareness of where free hitters come from. Nick has had a lot of production, but his instincts are taking over with a lack of awareness of where those things are taking place. "What we're going to see this year, hopefully, is a guy who understands the game and a guy who is understanding defenses a lot better, and a young man who is going to go out there with a lot more anticipation along with the reaction that he has. That's what we're trying to do — get both of those guys to anticipate plays a little bit better." QUESTION: What's it like managing a position group with two stars at the top but also plenty of young talent behind them? DRAYTON: "It could be a challenge, right? We're talking about college football players, and they want theirs. They want to have their own personal success. "But the one thing that's unique about Nick and Kaytron is that they understand the role they play, and it's a team role. They un- derstand the impact they can have on a young group just through their actions and how they compete on the football field. "I've challenged them to be that next coach on the field, and to bring these young guys up along with them to give them the experience and teach those guys some of the things that they've already been through. They should have the cheat sheet given to them by Nick and Kaytron. They've done a great job of that, and they're taking ownership of that room. They're holding these young guys accountable. These young guys are going to get bet- ter from that." QUESTION: How are you different as a position coach now, having gained multiple years of experience as a head coach? DRAYTON: "I see the big picture a little bit more in terms of what Coach Franklin is expecting, the standards that he sets in place. Being able to bridge that gap from head coach to my unit is very critical. It's helping to accelerate their growth in that respect and understanding the game and the big picture, and understanding how the business of the game is working now. "So, I bring that to the table. I don't think I could have brought that to the table before being a head football coach, and it's making me a better coach. These guys will benefit from that for sure." Sitting Down With Running Backs Coach Stan Drayton Drayton joined Penn State's coaching staff in mid-February after spending the past three years as head coach at Temple. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER