‘The perfect fit:’ Why Penn State safety Jonathan Sutherland was awarded the No. 0
Penn State football coach James Franklin’s phone was blowing up ahead of practice on Saturday with texts and calls from his players. They all wanted to make the case for why they believed they deserved the jersey No. 0 — a new tradition the Nittany Lions unveiled earlier this month.
The program announced on Oct. 1 that the No. 0 would be awarded to a player on special teams who “is a tough, dependable, disciplined, physical leader who inspires teammates with his accountability and production.”
Franklin and special teams coordinator Joe Lorig presented the jersey to redshirt junior safety Jonathan Sutherland on Saturday after practice.
“It’s funny, after the announcement was made and Sutherland got No. 0, all those guys were like, ‘I’m disappointed, but I get it — it’s Sutherland,’” Franklin recalled Tuesday. “‘It’s hard to argue with him.’ You look at the number of reps that he played on special teams last year and how he graded out — and just his approach and his mentality and his demeanor have been awesome.”
While Sutherland — who was also named a captain for the second consecutive year on Friday — described himself and other players as being “pretty much surprised” in the moment, his teammates disagreed.
“When Coach was holding it up and trying to do the whole little inaugural thing, everybody knew it was going to be John Sutherland,” redshirt senior defensive end Shaka Toney said.
In the Nittany Lions’ 2019 season opener against Idaho, Sutherland blocked two punts — marking the first time Penn State blocked two punts in a game since 2000 versus Louisiana Tech. He finished the season as one of only two FBS players with two blocked punts in a game.
Junior linebacker Jesse Luketa said it’s that kind of effort on special teams that led to Sutherland being honored with the No. 0.
“He’s not the right fit; he’s the perfect fit,” Luketa said. “... He’s a guy that’s going to have an opportunity at the next level, not only as a safety or in the nickel position, but as a great special teamer — a guy that’s going to give you everything he has, a guy that you can depend upon in those situations.”
Franklin said he and Lorig decided to make the No. 0 a reward to “continue to emphasize special teams” in the Penn State culture, after the NCAA approved making zero an eligible number in April to cut down on the amount of players on a team with the same jersey number.
Toney also spoke on the importance of special teams in determining the outcome of games. He mentioned that there are college football players who “don’t believe in special teams” although it’s “truly a third of the game.”
“If your special teams doesn’t perform (well), then you’ll lose the game,” Toney said. “Blocked punts, kick returns, touchbacks, all those things matter. They all play a factor in the game. John Sutherland comes in every single snap, and you know what you’re gonna get from him. There’s nobody more deserving of that No. 0.”
Though Sutherland may have been a bit surprised by the recognition, as a leader and captain — and now as the Nittany Lions’ first ever No. 0 — he feels a responsibility to live up to the standard that comes with it.
“It’s a blessing; it’s an honor,” Sutherland said. “There were definitely many guys that were qualified on the team for it. I just appreciated all the support and my teammates ultimately choosing me.”
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 7:01 PM.
