Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/260491
derbilt in mid-January and they spent the weeks leading up to signing day in hotels, airports and rental cars. During one 24-hour period, offensive recruiting coordinator Josh Gattis made a home visit in New Jersey with Saeed Blacknall, then flew from Newark to Virginia Beach, then went to Philadelphia, then drove to Delaware to meet with Chris Godwin, then drove back to Philly to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale. Franklin appreciated his coaches' dili- gence, especially when the fax machine began spitting out all those signed let- ters. There was little last-minute drama, and that made the occasion even happi- er. Said Franklin, "We're going to enjoy the wins on the field, in recruiting and in the classroom. We're going to enjoy them and celebrate them with our team." It would be easy to get the idea after watching Penn State's Signature Event that Franklin's approach is all carrot and no stick. He insists that's not the case. Once they've recruited their guys, Franklin said, and his staff will devote their energy toward "de-recruiting" them. "When they show up, it's not walking around and going all over the country and everybody telling you how wonder- ful you are anymore," he said. "Nobody cares about the rankings, whether you're a two-star or five-star. It doesn't mat- ter. You went from being the 'man' in high school to the bottom of the barrel, and how are you going to fight back? When you have a freshman offensive lineman who's 18 years old, 270 pounds and he's going up against a grown man who's 22 years old and 330 pounds, that usually knocks a little bit of the wind out of their sail and makes them realize that they have work to do. "The other thing we talk about all the time," he added, "is that you have to be a grounded individual to not change. It's amazing how many kids and parents we see change through the process. … The type of people we want to recruit are the guys who stay humble, stay hungry and are appreciative of the opportunity that Penn State has given them." Hopefully, the Nittany Lions got a few of those guys. Hopefully, they got more than a few. But if it turns out they did- n't, it will be only natural to wonder whether the flattery those prospects re- ceived during the recruiting process was counterproductive. There is, after all, a bit of cognitive dissonance in an ap- proach that cautions against egotism while at the same time feeding the very impulses that erode humility. Then again, it's possible that kids to- day are simply different than they were a generation ago. They're definitely ex- posed to more recruiting hype than their predecessors ever were. And although they may respond to the compliments while they're being pursued, they also understand that there's an element of showbiz in the recruiting game and that when they get to campus, things are go- ing to be very different. Paterno used to say that praise is like poison: It's only dangerous if you swal- low it. He had a deep aversion to hype and for many years refused to talk about freshmen in his news conferences or even put their names in the media guide. But toward the end of his reign, he started to relent. Penn State began announcing its classes and putting in- formation about the newcomers on its website. With those tentative steps, the Nittany Lions merged onto a road that most every other program in the country had been traveling for a while. And while Franklin may have shifted into sixth gear, it's not a road to ruin. The Nittany Lions didn't lose any of their self-disci- pline when O'Brien put players' names on the backs of their jerseys. One of the often-overlooked accomplishments of his coaching tenure is that hardly any of his players got in trouble off the field. That's the benefit of having a coach who is fully engaged in the minutia of the program. Franklin could turn out to be that type of coach, as well. And as long as his kids go to class and stay out of trouble off the field, it's all good. Of course, they'll have to win some football games, too. Signing day, for all the razzle-dazzle, is just the opening act. The main event starts Aug. 30. ■ www.AmericanAleHouse.net 821 Cricklewood Drive, Toftrees State College n£{°ÓÎn°£{äÈÊUÊÜÜÜ°Ìi«ÞÀÃÌ°V £££Ê°Ê i>ÛiÀÊÛiÕiÊUÊ-Ì>ÌiÊ i}i]Ê* Now in 2 Locations 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