Blue White Illustrated

| H is dad was James Oliver Franklin. His mother, Jocelyn. These are the simplest, most basic details of James Geoffrey Franklin's biography, and the second-year Penn State head football coach recites them matter-of-factly. But there's nothing simple about the rest of the story. His dad was in the Air Force, stationed in Manchester, England, where he met Jocelyn. "They eloped to Ireland, and then he brought her back to this really romantic city, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania," Franklin said, "and they started popping out beige babies. That's me and my sis- ter [Debbie]." Jocelyn had two brothers, both of whom died young, and her husband's immediate family was even smaller. He had one brother, who died of cancer before James was born. But their son's family circle was by no means small, nor was the array of cultural in- fluences from which he formed his identity – an identity that has been a significant source of strength for him throughout his life. "What's funny is, I would say most black people look at me as black and identify me as black, and I think other people aren't really sure," he said. "I'm this cul- turally ambiguous guy, until you kind of figure it out. "I don't wear it on my sleeve. It's just kind of who I am." Although his father was an intermittent presence during Franklin's childhood, James Oliver's extended family remained close. In fact, Jocelyn, James and Debbie would attend reunions each summer at the family property in Rocky Mount, N.C. Franklin is able to recite the details, draw upon old family photos and recount all of the varying factors that have helped shape him into the 43-year-old leader of one of the nation's most prominent football pro- grams, and he fully embraces his back- story. It's a tapestry of diverse influences – black and white, Northeast urban and Southern rural, British and American – all combining to shape his self-perception and enhance his ability to lead and organize an equally complex and vast group of peo- ple. Said Franklin, "I think it's given me a really unique perspective. I can relate and be comfortable in so many different set- tings because of the way I was raised." Many of the recruits who have made a verbal pledge to play for Franklin have said the same things. "He has his own personality," said Shane Simmons, a de- fensive end in Penn State's 2016 recruiting class. "He grew up in Pennsylvania, in a rough part, I think. So he keeps it real with us. He's young and he relates to us, with music or food or just any topic at all. He's probably one of the easiest coaches to talk to, in my opinion." From the beginning of his coaching ca- reer, Franklin has always had a way of connecting with recruits. In the late 1990s, he was coaching wideouts at Idaho State, and his recruiting territory included the Los Angeles area. "Just like I do now, I had the guys over for dinner," he said. On one recruiting visit, he welcomed a group of prospects from Compton, Calif. His mother hap- 2 0 1 5 P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L BRIDGE BUILDER James Franklin finds strength in his multicultural heritage FOLLOW THE LEADER Franklin's background has helped him build relation- ships. Said the coach, "I can relate and be comfort- able in so many different settings because of the way I was raised." Photo by Patrick Mansell

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