Sixteen former Penn State football players work for the program or athletic department. James Franklin called that 'really valuable.'
When he arrived at Penn State, James Franklin faced a challenge with the football program’s lettermen. How could he reintegrate them with his new program, building excitement among former Nittany Lions and their fans, while capitalizing on their varied skills? Franklin has turned to hiring them.
“Having people in the building that have walked in their footsteps, having institutional knowledge, community knowledge, knowledge of football at Penn State and what it’s like — and then some of those guys having NFL experience, which gives them instant credibility — I think it’s been really valuable,” Franklin said.
“It’s been awesome, and we’ve worked really hard closing that gap and building those relationships with the players who played here before,” Franklin said. “It was a real challenge when we first got here, and I think we’re in a really good place now.”Former quarterback Wally Richardson directs the Football Letterman’s Club. And associate head coach Terry Smith is the last remaining assistant coach from Franklin’s first staff in 2014.
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