Blue White Illustrated

<9QKAFFH=FFKL9L= Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Lion Country Lodging.com PENN STATE Parent Discount Plan lioncountrylodging.com Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê L L i io n C Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê L Li io n C Co u un tr try ry L o d dg gi in P PE EN N S TA TA TE TE Pa Pa re en n t D i is c o un n t P PE EN NN N S T Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê n g g. c co m Pl Pl la n Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê The party started long before we'd ar- rived. Through the halls of the Lasch Building, walking from the vacant pol- ished floors in the back of the complex through the carpeted hallway lined with the faces of Penn State All-Americans hung on cinderblock walls, shouts echoed from above like a celebration from heaven. To the men and women in James Franklin's first-ever "war room," the comparison might have seemed apt. With Franklin sitting at the head of a long boardroom table – decked out in blue and white – the curtained off up- stairs lobby packed with assistant coaches, media, program supporters and staffers, focused its attention to five flat-paneled televisions beaming the faces of Penn State's signed commit- ments into the room. Framed by blue and white helium-filled balloons with silver stars at the top, the atmosphere was that of an Alumni Association away game pep rally, a pregame tailgate and a spaceship control center all wrapped into one. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," a nameless voice shouted to quiet the room. "Hold up. We got one coming." Speakers blasting a FaceTime voice from an iPhone into the room, Franklin let the young man on the other end know the assembled masses were ready to welcome him into the fold, gesturing to assistant coach Charles Huff to begin the formal presentation. One-by-one, flashbacks of Roger Goodell, David Stern or Paul Tagliabue inescapable to anyone present as Huff worked his way through special guests – including 32-year equipment manager Spider Caldwell, All-America linebacker Mike Mauti, Blue Band members and Penn State cheerleaders, among oth- ers – as they introduced the names that will suit up for the Nittany Lions for the next five years. Across the room, staffers prepped the next name plate to secure to the room's "2014 Penn State National Signing Day" draft board. In order, Jason Cabinda, Noah Beh, Chance Sorrell, Troy Apke, Amani Oruwariye, Grant Haley, Trace McSor- ley, Troy Reeder, Saeed Blacknall, DaQuan Worley, Chris Godwin, Mike Gesicki, Nick Scott, Torrence Brown lined the wall, Nos. 1 through 15, respec- tively, each given his own separate sign- ing day introduction to pumped up cheers and applause from the room. With time winding down on the media's opportunity to hang out in the war room, Antoine White, Michael O'Connor and DeAndre Thompkins – each at PSU since mid-January – got their own personal introductions, de- spite not needing to officially participate in the Nittany Lions' new signing day extravaganza. Spurred on by a new head coach em- bodying the definition of pizzaz, flash and geniality, a new era at Penn State football yet again welcomed itself Wednesday morning in Happy Valley. F E B R U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 8 N AT E   BA U E R | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Franklin's fresh approach on signing day

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