What’s life like for James Franklin, Penn State football amid the coronavirus? Here’s what he said
Like most of the world, Penn State coach James Franklin has been forced to adjust his life due to the ongoing threat of the coronavirus — and it hasn’t been easy.
The head coach, who’s tucked away in a condo with his family outside of Happy Valley, told reporters during a face-to-face conference call Wednesday that he, his wife and his two daughters have tried to isolate themselves as much as possible. He’s spending nine hours a day in front of his computer, organizing weekly virtual team meetings with 150-plus on the line and reaching out to recruits all the while attempting to remain inside to stay healthy and safe.
His youngest daughter, Addison, suffers from sickle cell anemia — a blood disease and auto-immune disorder — that puts her at greater risk of complications should she contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. So, to Franklin, the threat of the global pandemic is very real.
“I’m not a politician,” said Franklin, sitting in front of his computer with a bright blue shirt. “But there’s part of me that would just like to lock the whole country down, all of it, because I think the quicker we do that, the sooner we can come out of this thing.”
For now, Franklin is trying to maintain as much structure as he can in his daily life. And he’s telling his players to do the same: Set your morning alarm, wake up at a regular time, do schoolwork, exercise, and don’t use this as an excuse to watch what you’ve worked for slip away.
But, like most activities during the pandemic, that’s easier said than done. With the largest athletic team at the university, there are a number of different situations to account for. When it comes to exercise, for instance, some players might have basement gyms, some might have nearby fields to sprint up, some might have a simple kettle bell — and some might have absolutely nothing.
“I like to be planned and organized for everything that I possibly can be,” Franklin added. “I will admit this isn’t something we planned for.”
Because of those unknowns, there is no one-size-fits-all workout approach. Franklin said the strength staff has tried to personalize the recommended regimen so each player’s workout varies. For those who have nothing, Franklin said they’ve been given body-weight exercises, such as filling up a backpack with sand or rocks and starting from there.
But Franklin, who said he’s made such workouts optional, reiterated that football shouldn’t be the top priority right now.
“This is much bigger than sports, obviously,” he said. “This is something the entire world is dealing with. And sports obviously takes a backseat to that, so it seems kind of strange to be talking about sports when we’re dealing with such a more difficult challenge.”
Franklin has tried to take his own precautions during the pandemic. Besides constantly washing his hands, he hasn’t approached the condo’s gym unless it’s empty — which has been a bit of a problem.
One gym rat tends to spend a few hours in there at a time so, fed up, Franklin decided just to swipe some 25-pound weights and walk them back to his room. The next time he visited the weight room, he spotted a “nasty note” asking the person who stole the weights to return them.
“So I put a little note that said, ‘Well, could you stop dominating the weight room for three hours a day?’” Franklin said.
Franklin, who’s been the Nittany Lions’ head coach since 2014, has tried his best to make due with the current coronavirus situation. After all, the university looks to the football program to help with fundraising, and the athletic department looks to the team for support. In 2018, football alone earned about $100 million in revenue so, since Day 1 of the coronavirus, Franklin said he’s been in constant talks about the economic impact.
On Tuesday, he started talking with Athletic Director Sandy Barbour about how much time the team would need to feel prepared enough to protect themselves, injury-wise, for the fall season to start on time. Would he need 30 days? Sixty days? And will the NCAA give football teams more summer hours now, or maybe a longer camp, to help make up for any missed time? Also, will early signing day in December now be moved back?
Franklin said he just doesn’t know yet.
“No. 1 is health and safety, and No. 2 is making sure we can do things from a financial responsibility and from an economic perspective for our community, for our state and then specifically for our university,” said Franklin, who declined to respond when asked if any of his staff or players were diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Overall, Franklin said, his players are mostly handling the global pandemic well. Concern and fear permeated the start but, as time has moved on and chiseled away at some questions, most — not all, Franklin said, but most — have settled into the new routines. During positional meetings, held online via Zoom, Franklin said his staff is constantly checking on how individuals and their families are faring.
Most players have returned home to be with their families. But some have remained on campus, where a case of the virus was confirmed Tuesday, and some are living in off-campus apartments.
Despite the past unknowns that have already been answered, the biggest question still remains — When is this going to end? — but Franklin, who’s reiterated his positivity throughout his coaching career, said he’s still trying to look at the silver lining. His daughters can run into his room to give him a hug during the day, he sees them when he wakes up, and he wishes them good night. He can even steal away some nights with his wife, and they’ll watch Netflix’s “Mindhunter.”
He opened up Wednesday’s conference call by thanking medical workers for what they’re doing. And he also wanted to give Penn State fans an important message to keep in mind.
“I want to encourage everybody out there to stay home, to wash their hands and be diligent about those things — and obviously avoid contact with others as much as possible,” he said. “I don’t think any of us expected anything like this or experienced anything like this.
“It’s a scary time for all of us, and we want to make sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to flatten the curve.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 6:45 PM.
