Photo by Joseph Barrientos
You can’t be in two places at once, right? Well, James Franklin, the coach of Penn State’s football team, tried to do just that last Thursday.
Penn State had two players who were top picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coach Franklin wanted to be there for both of them, even though their parties were far apart.
Olu Fashanu, an offensive tackle, and Chop Robinson, an edge rusher, were the stars of the day. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins picked them, respectively. Franklin had a plan to be at both celebrations, no matter what.
The challenge? The draft parties for Fashanu and Robinson were 57 miles apart. That’s quite a distance, but Franklin wasn’t about to pick one over the other.
He started his journey in Waldorf, Maryland, cheering on Fashanu as the Jets announced him as their No. 11 pick. He even snapped a photo to capture the moment.
After a quick celebration with Fashanu, Franklin was on the move again. He had an hour’s drive to Gaithersburg, where Robinson’s family was eagerly waiting.
When you have two first-rounders that live an hour apart… you make it happen.
Made it just in time. 😂 @CoachJFranklin pic.twitter.com/ALHKJSuwip
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) April 26, 2024
Franklin’s sprint to Robinson’s party was something to see. He spotted the house by the balloons, dashed in, and found his former player just in time to celebrate the Dolphins’ choice.
Not everyone would go to such lengths. Yet, this shows how Franklin builds strong bonds with his players at Penn State.
He’s a coach who truly cares. It’s clear how much it means to players like Fashanu and Robinson to have him there, supporting them on one of the biggest days of their lives.
Many wouldn’t bother to do what Franklin did. But for him, it’s all in a day’s work.
