2nd Penn State football doc details Franklin’s medical meddling, including player who tried suicide
“What was the message?” a lawyer asked. “Play hurt,” the doctor testified. “And that came from coach Franklin? Correct.”
"Franklin's Medical Meddling"
- Thread starter heckmans
- Start date
pay wall so I could only see the first few lines. Troubling though2nd Penn State football doc details Franklin’s medical meddling, including player who tried suicide
“What was the message?” a lawyer asked. “Play hurt,” the doctor testified. “And that came from coach Franklin? Correct.”www.pennlive.com
Weird.... Google fed me the story. I do not subscribe to pennlive but I was able to read it. Here is the story....
By John Luciew | jluciew@pennlive.com
A second team doctor with Penn State football testified Tuesday of multiple times when Coach James Franklin attempted to interfere with the medical decisions of team doctors and trainers.
This interference included a player who attempted to kill himself by throwing himself out a window, according to Dr. Pete Seidenberg, who served as a primary care team physician during Franklin’s early years as head coach. Seidenberg is no longer with Penn State and practices out of state.
“Thankfully someone stopped him,” Dr. Seidenberg said of the player who was not named in open court in Dauphin County.
The suicidal player was still receiving treatment in short-term psychiatric care when Seidenberg testified Franklin and then-Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour wanted the player medically disqualified from the team.
Dr. Seidenberg testified this would have meant the player would lose his Penn State scholarship so Franklin could offer it to another player during the upcoming offseason.
Dr. Seidenberg testified he and Dr. Scott Lynch, then Penn State’s director of athletic medicine and orthopedic consultant to the football team, declined to follow Franklin’s and Barbour’s request. Dr. Seidenberg said it would have been the equivalent of disqualifying a player with a torn ACL before he received surgery.
The incident was one of several detailed Tuesday by Dr. Seidenberg as part of the ongoing trial brought by Lynch.
READ MORE: Nike contract with Penn State scrutinized at trial for fired football doctor
Lynch was fired from his dual roles as Penn State’ director of athletic medicine and orthopedic consultant to the football team on March 1, 2019, leading to his lawsuit.
The suit alleges Lynch had repeated clashes with Franklin, who took over in 2014. Lynch claims he was terminated from his dual roles because he refused to “allow a coach to interfere with his medical treatment and return to play decisions.”
Lynch says he reported Franklin’s interference to Penn State Athletics and Penn State Health, including his immediate supervisor there, Dr. David Black, who’s also being sued by Lynch. He is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages in the case.
The defense asserts there’s no evidence Lynch ever altered his medical treatment of players under pressure from Franklin -- or anyone else.
On the witness stand, Dr. Seidenberg detailed numerous meetings in which he said Franklin pressured him, Lynch and the chief athletic trainer to alter their medical decisions and the treatment advice and options given to players.
Repeatedly, after detailing these incidents, Dr. Seidenberg described Franklin’s actions this way: “I perceived that as his attempt to influence medical decisions.”
There were multiple defense objections during Dr. Seidenberg’s testimony for “hearsay.” Dauphin County Court Judge Andrew Dowling barred the doctor from repeating any of Franklin’s words on the witness stand. Instead, Seidenberg had to testify to what he observed and the conclusions he drew from Franklin’s actions.
Franklin and Penn State Athletics were dropped from Lynch’s lawsuit due to a filing deadline technicality.
One of the meetings with Franklin, other team and AD officials and the medical staff occurred on a Friday night at the Penn Stater Hotel prior to a game. Dr. Seidenberg testified that Franklin wanted a significant starter to be cleared for play.
“Coach was trying to get us release the athlete for return to play,” the doctor testified. “We were being pressured to release the athlete. There was a discussion. Coach was trying to influence medical decisions.”
In the end, Dr. Seidenberg testified that he and Lynch resisted this, and the player was not cleared for the upcoming game.
Asked how Franklin reacted to this medical decision, Dr. Seidenberg testified: “He was angry. He was angry at our decision.”
In another instance where the team medical staff stood firm against Franklin over a player’s treatment, Seidenberg testified of the coach: “He got up from the conference table abruptly and went back behind his desk. The meeting was over.”
Lynch’s attorney, Steven F. Marino, quipped that Franklin’s actions amounted to a “principal’s office moment.”
Dr. Seidenberg testified he and Lynch would explain the various treatment options to injured players, leaving it to them whether to opt for surgery or a more conservative approach involving therapy that could take longer if the treatment doesn’t work.
In two such cases described from the witness stand, Seidenberg said Franklin favored surgery as the first option, calling meetings in both cases with Seidenberg and Lynch. Yet again, the doctors abided by the players’ choices for the more “conservative” medical approaches.
Dr. Seidenberg testified Franklin often questioned the number of players on the injury list for practice. Players limited by injury were clad in “baby blue” jerseys for practices.
“There was pressure to get people out of the baby blues and pressure to do it quickly,” Seidenberg testified.
To show Dr. Lynch didn’t always go against Franklin, Seidenberg chronicled an incident in which a player broke a bone in his foot during the 2019 Citrus Bowl. Lynch explained the injury to the player, telling him going back in the game would not further damage the foot. Lynch left it to the player, who opted to go back into the game.
Afterward, Franklin lauded the player to the entire team.
“Coach was very happy,” Seidenberg recalled. “The athlete was applauded for continuing to play hurt.”
“What was the message?” Marino asked his witness.
“Play hurt.”
“And that came from coach Franklin?”
“Correct,” Seidenberg said.
Just in case players didn’t get the message, Franklin floated an idea to borrow a locker room sign from the rival Michigan program. The sign, introduced in court, read: “The unmotivated player, the out-of-shape player, the hurt player, and the bad player all look the same.”
Shocked by the message, Seidenberg testified he sent an email to Lynch and the head trainer saying, “I am concerned that he felt the need to share this with us.”
Added Seidenberg on the stand: “This encourages hurt players to hide their injuries and not report them to the medical team.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and soc
ial media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
I see nothing wrong here....these jump out at me
1 "Lynch explained the injury to the player, telling him going back in the game would not further damage the foot"
At that point, the player can make a decision. If it wasn't a bowl game encouraging him to keep playing was absolutely the right call. The entire reason not to play is to avoid further injury. We're not talking about a concussion here.
2 Then this..."Dr. Seidenberg testified he and Lynch would explain the various treatment options to injured players, leaving it to them whether to opt for surgery or a more conservative approach involving therapy that could take longer if the treatment doesn’t work. In two such cases described from the witness stand, Seidenberg said Franklin favored surgery as the first option, calling meetings in both cases with Seidenberg and Lynch. Yet again, the doctors abided by the players’ choices for the more “conservative” medical approaches."
Franklin advised what he thought was the best course of action--the player's choice was followed through
Nothing to see here.
1 "Lynch explained the injury to the player, telling him going back in the game would not further damage the foot"
At that point, the player can make a decision. If it wasn't a bowl game encouraging him to keep playing was absolutely the right call. The entire reason not to play is to avoid further injury. We're not talking about a concussion here.
2 Then this..."Dr. Seidenberg testified he and Lynch would explain the various treatment options to injured players, leaving it to them whether to opt for surgery or a more conservative approach involving therapy that could take longer if the treatment doesn’t work. In two such cases described from the witness stand, Seidenberg said Franklin favored surgery as the first option, calling meetings in both cases with Seidenberg and Lynch. Yet again, the doctors abided by the players’ choices for the more “conservative” medical approaches."
Franklin advised what he thought was the best course of action--the player's choice was followed through
Nothing to see here.
Yeah, I have a lot of problems with Franklin, this isn't one of them. Players play injured and are encouraged to do so at this level, sorry, just a reality of the $ and pressure at play.
Just a guy mad that he's no longer getting paid. Of course players play hurt.
Sounds like the doctors were meddling in football scholarship decisions. Is a mentally ill player even capable of playing? Does he merit a scholarship?
Last edited:
So a doctor that had been fired went to court to take action against his former employer and had to drop both Franklin and Penn St Athletics from the lawsuit. But Penn Live whose entire modus operandi for decades has been to attack Penn St for clicks, decided to go with every bit of the fired employee's view on Franklin. No clicks from me.
Isn't there a program that grants players who are medically disqualified a different type of scholarship that doesn't count against the 85?
Yes. Many/most players who are medically unable to continue to play their scholarship sport remain on scholarship to finish their degree , while being removed from the NCAA scholarship total. Thus opening up an active sport scholarship/opportunity for another athlete.
I think there is but I don't think a doctor should have any say who psu has on scholarship
This reminds me of a terrific speech given by Joe in 2000 or 2001. He and Sue were being honored in Indianapolis by the Hudson Institute. The theme throughout Joe's talk was the difference between being hurt and being injured.
He basically said that if you're hurt, you need to play through it. Your team needs you. Being injured, however, is another story. That's when the team needs to carry you. Next man up.
Of course, Joe wasn't talking about football. He was talking about society, as a whole.
He basically said that if you're hurt, you need to play through it. Your team needs you. Being injured, however, is another story. That's when the team needs to carry you. Next man up.
Of course, Joe wasn't talking about football. He was talking about society, as a whole.
This seems rather like a money grab... How did Franklin treat ...
Jordan Miner
Nana Aseidu
John Reed
Journey Brown
Also, I could list many that played hurt and still do in every program past and present. A hairline fracture of a metatarsal... Wearing protection and an arch support. Never happens ... 😂
Jordan Miner
Nana Aseidu
John Reed
Journey Brown
Also, I could list many that played hurt and still do in every program past and present. A hairline fracture of a metatarsal... Wearing protection and an arch support. Never happens ... 😂
Then why did the physician testify that Franklin and Barbour wanted him off scholarship? Perhaps the physician didn't understand the young man could be moved to a non-athletic scholarship?
Because he is trying to jump out windows. I would guess that counts as a danger to himself or others.
And why didn’t Penn Live discuss that program? A good journalist would so.
Oh…..wait….. never mind…..🤔
Because it happens all the time. Medically disqualified just means they won’t count towards the 85 limit. The NCAA/school has a hardship fund that would kick in keep the kid on scholarship. It happened under Joe and at every program in the country. That is the other side of the story that of course the prosecution isn’t going to say.
Story is on CBS Sports now. Not on ESPN but they do have a story about our renovations.
Will be interesting to see if the media makes this a story or not
I still don't think there's anything here
Will be interesting to see if the media makes this a story or not
I still don't think there's anything here
We get it, Ralph. You hate the head coach.2nd Penn State football doc details Franklin’s medical meddling, including player who tried suicide
“What was the message?” a lawyer asked. “Play hurt,” the doctor testified. “And that came from coach Franklin? Correct.”
Interesting. I remember a coach who won oh 409 games saying you can play hurt but not injured. Go figure.
I played club rugby at PSU. We competed for 3 national titles during my time. I wasn't on scholarship, nor was anyone else. If we were hurt, but could go, we played. No one wanted to be on the sideline.
Of course it’s a money grab. I forget the guy’s name who testified yesterday for plaintiffs who admitted that Lynch’s attorney, Marino, also represented him in two unsuccessful suits against Penn State. The other doctor who testified for the plaintiff is good friends with Lynch and (1) consulted with him prior to giving a pre-trial deposition and (2) is staying at his house during the trial. Marion’s questioning of Dr. Black today was laughable. After Black testified that on two occasions Lynch said in passing that Franklin was “interfering” Black said he asked him if Lynch wanted Black to intercede and that Lynch said no who could handle it. Marino then smugly says and you did nothing. I guess it’s difficult for Marino to understand that there was no reason for Black to intercede after he asked Lynch if he wanted him to get involved and he said no. Still waiting for any testimony from anyone that Lynch was prevented from treating anyone in the manner he deemed appropriate because of Franklin.
Wow. Here is one morons take that is reminiscent of how Sandusky was handled.
www.sbnation.com
New Penn State allegations show the football program has learned nothing from the past
James Franklin has a lot to answer for.
www.sbnation.com
Journalism is long dead in this country now you are guilty until proven innocent and f the facts we need to the story on the interwebs first.
