As a 66 year old PSU grad and father of another Penn Stater, I can tell you that although I have some mixed emotions about now vs. the Paterno era, I absolutely loved what I saw from this HBO special. For one, it was the best 1 hour recruiting video that came outside of the internal Penn State marketing / PR department that I have ever seen. Secondly, it proved to me that we have now not only caught up with the 21st century in handling young talented football players, but are on the cutting edge of still getting good kids and keeping them because of a family approach fostered by James Franklin.
I believe that any talented kid who wants to play for a top notch college team and wants to have fun, but work his butt off for the success; will want to come to PSU after watching this. CJF has shown that he practices what he preaches when recruiting these very impressionable young HS elite players. His assistant coaches not only have bought into this, but complement what he preaches extremely well. Who wouldn't want to be one of those Wild Hogs playing for a coach like Sean Spencer. When we lost LJ Sr.to OSU, I thought we would suffer by being out-recruited and lose out on the better regional DL players, but wow, was I wrong! Spencer riding in on his Harley and treating his players the way he does is one cool MFer that even I would run through a brick wall for (even with my 2 artificial hips)!
When CJF says WE ARE a family, he means it by involving everyone associated with the team in group family settings. What a difference this is from the later years of Joe Pa's era when we had our assistant coaches basically hiding in sky boxes biting fingernails as our offense sputtered, and our defensive coaches were totally out of synch with the offensive coaches and players. There was such discord back then. Now we still have high quality kids who are well managed seemingly in every way possible.
When I started by saying that I have some mixed emotions about the CJF vs. the Joe Pa approach, I can't help but think that Joe would have our players looking more clean cut, but then again, we aren't a military school and need to recognize that kids need to express their own individualities. I truly think that some of our greatest players like Matt Millen, LaVar Arrington or LJ Jr. would have thrived even greater in an environment like this if they knew they would be rewarded for smart hard work, assuming they also buckled down in all areas (on and off the field). There is no one way of succeeding, and I for one am so happy and proud to be a Penn Stater when I see what great coaching styles and staffs we have had and now continue to have in achieving "success with honor"!
I believe that any talented kid who wants to play for a top notch college team and wants to have fun, but work his butt off for the success; will want to come to PSU after watching this. CJF has shown that he practices what he preaches when recruiting these very impressionable young HS elite players. His assistant coaches not only have bought into this, but complement what he preaches extremely well. Who wouldn't want to be one of those Wild Hogs playing for a coach like Sean Spencer. When we lost LJ Sr.to OSU, I thought we would suffer by being out-recruited and lose out on the better regional DL players, but wow, was I wrong! Spencer riding in on his Harley and treating his players the way he does is one cool MFer that even I would run through a brick wall for (even with my 2 artificial hips)!
When CJF says WE ARE a family, he means it by involving everyone associated with the team in group family settings. What a difference this is from the later years of Joe Pa's era when we had our assistant coaches basically hiding in sky boxes biting fingernails as our offense sputtered, and our defensive coaches were totally out of synch with the offensive coaches and players. There was such discord back then. Now we still have high quality kids who are well managed seemingly in every way possible.
When I started by saying that I have some mixed emotions about the CJF vs. the Joe Pa approach, I can't help but think that Joe would have our players looking more clean cut, but then again, we aren't a military school and need to recognize that kids need to express their own individualities. I truly think that some of our greatest players like Matt Millen, LaVar Arrington or LJ Jr. would have thrived even greater in an environment like this if they knew they would be rewarded for smart hard work, assuming they also buckled down in all areas (on and off the field). There is no one way of succeeding, and I for one am so happy and proud to be a Penn Stater when I see what great coaching styles and staffs we have had and now continue to have in achieving "success with honor"!
