Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
I N T E R V I E W J A M E S F R A N K L I N I want our players to appreciate the blessings they have here at Penn State' ' In James Franklin's perfect world, Beaver Stadium would always be filled to capacity, regardless of the opponent. College football has fewer games than any other major spectator sport, and as far as Penn State's fourth-year head coach is concerned, they should all be savored. "I'd like us to get to the point where we just have so much appreciation for foot- ball, for Penn State, for this community and for opportunities to get together with friends and family to celebrate, that we're able to [rel- ish] the purity of the sport and just enjoy it," he said. "That's what I would hope." The Nittany Lions did their part last year by putting a wildly entertaining product on the field. They were one of the best shows in col- lege football, an offensive high-wire act headlined by running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSor- ley. The team averaged 37.6 points per game, and the result was the best season of Franklin's six-year head coaching ca- reer, an 11-3 finish that included a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl ap- pearance. With an abundance of starters return- ing, including Barkley and McSorley, and a home schedule that includes Pitt, Michigan and Nebraska, Franklin is likely to see Beaver Stadium rocking harder than ever this fall. He recently talked to Blue White Illustrated web edi- tor Nate Bauer about the team's outlook heading into preseason practice. Here's what he had to say: BWI Are you ready to get into the sea- son right now, or are you appreciative of the time you have in the summer to work on what's left? FRANKLIN I never feel ready to do it now. Our schedule is so organized and disciplined, and there aren't enough hours in the day and enough days in the week to get it all done. You really have to get to a point where you're comfortable going to bed at night not feeling like you got everything done, because you never feel like you got everything done, but feeling like you maximized that day. If you do that, then you feel good going to bed at night. So yeah, I never feel like I'm ready. And then the funny thing is, NEWS & NOTES STEADY ASCENT Franklin is coming off his most success- ful season as a head coach. Photo by Steve Manuel