Journey Brown’s role still as vital as ever for Penn State football, even off the field
Less than a month ago, Penn State standout running back Journey Brown was all smiles on a Zoom conference call with reporters during the Nittany Lions’ virtual media days. The redshirt junior spoke about his new role as a leader for the team’s running backs room and his goals to make even greater strides this season after finishing with 890 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last year.
But since then, a lot has changed.
Penn State confirmed Monday night that Brown could potentially miss the 2020 season due to an undisclosed medical condition discovered this offseason.
Still, Brown’s presence — even if it won’t be felt on the field — will be an important part of the Penn State locker room this fall.
“His leadership on our team is significant,” head coach James Franklin said Tuesday. “His leadership on our team is needed. His energy, he’s been phenomenal. … We’re not losing Journey the man. Journey the man is going to be with us and will always be. We’re fortunate because that’s the thing that’s most important to me — who he is and what he represents for our program.”
In his three years at Penn State, Brown has been known to have a goofy personality and make his teammates laugh with jokes and pranks. Junior linebacker Jesse Luketa mentioned that none of that has changed.
“If you know Journey, you know he’s just such a vibrant person,” Luketa said. “His energy is infectious. He hasn’t lost that at all.”
Brown — who started his career as a three-star prospect — is no stranger to adversity. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Meadville native worked his way up to being a name to know in college football while dealing with the death of his grandmother in 2018, his cousin last fall and a few other loved ones in his time at Penn State.
Still, Brown has kept a positive outlook on life and found greater purpose with each loss.
Star junior tight end Pat Freiermuth said that Brown’s admirable attitude toward life is one of the reasons his position as a role model for the team is crucial.
“Journey’s still gonna be there,” Freiermuth said. “Journey’s always in the building. … Everyone on the whole team looks up to him, including myself. If I had the mentality that Journey has, I would be 10 times better as the man I am.”
Behind Brown in the Nittany Lions’ running back rotation were sophomores Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. The duo — who combined for 737 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season — will have to take a big step forward.
Lucky for them, Brown will be there to offer guidance and mentorship, like he’s always been.
“Journey’s had a huge impact on those guys,” Franklin said. “He’s been great in practice; he’s been great in meeting rooms. And I know he’ll continue to do that.”
Franklin also said Tuesday that the program will have to “see how this whole thing plays out” to determine if Brown could eventually play this season. But no matter how his situation turns out in the near future, what he brings to the table for Penn State even without stepping on the field this fall will be vital for the Nittany Lions.
“He’s gonna continue to be a voice in our locker room, continue to be a voice of reason and a leader,” Luketa said. “People can still depend on him. Seeing him down right now hurts, but we’re just praying for the best. He’s gonna be back.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 5:19 PM.
