Franklin: Brown's football career over due to medical condition

ALTOONA, Pa. -- In a shocking twist, Penn State head James Franklin announced running back Journey Brown's football career has ended as a result of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

It was announced prior to the season Brown would be sidelined with an undisclosed medical condition for a period of time which was unknown. Since then Brown had been at every practice and game serving as a both a cheerleader and an assistant running backs coach. While doing so, the Nittany Lions had sought a second opinion which ultimately confirmed what Penn State doctors had initially found.

"It was discovered through a routine Covid-19 test, although it is not Covid related," Franklin said following practice Wednesday. "We learned about this in early September and we've been working through this and dealing with this as a team."

Brown had been performing well enough late in the season last year to consider entering the NFL Draft and decided to return before ultimately being sidelined. It was a crushing blow to Penn State in early September, but this announcement and the finality of it is an entirely different monster as what looked to be a promising career has been ended as due to something not within anyone's control.

"Journey is one of the most popular and respected players on our team. The entire organization is rallied behind Journey and his family," Franklin said Wednesday night. "We need Nittany Nation to do the same as I know we will."

As if the performance of the season for Penn State hadn't been bad enough, the news of Brown's medical condition ending his career is even tougher to swallow than what's been happening on the field for the Nittany Lions. 

"It's heartbreaking and when it happened and when we found out about it, you're in shock, you feel physically sick about it and you're just in shock," Franklin said. "You hurt for the kid, obviously it's magnified because of all the conversations going on nationally about Journey and what he was going to be able to do this season."

Life is about what you make it and since stepping on campus Brown has done an incredible job of handling what life has thrown at him which included injury, loss of a loved one and now this.

"The kid has been phenomenal," Franklin said. "He's handled It better than I think anybody I've ever been around. He's going to be very successful and I don't know if he wants to stay in football or whatever he decides to do, but he's going to be unbelievably successful."

Franklin was visibly emotional as he talked about how hard the news was to handle which is understandable given he thinks of Brown like a son. 

"That's what made this news so hard on everybody because we knew what type of player he could be for Penn State but also for his future," Franklin said. "It's one thing that you come in as a freshman and you don't pass the physical and that's hard to go through, but as much success as he's had, I think it makes it even more challenging. You just feel for the kid. It's been...he's a special kid."

Following Saturday's loss to Maryland, Penn State players mentioned on multiple occasions about distractions both on the field and in the locker room and with this news, one of the questions about what was going on has been answered. 

"When you hear the players talk about distractions and things like that are going on and they don't get into the details of it, these are some of the things that have been kinda happening behind the scenes," Franklin said. "Then obviously Noah (Cain) goes down on the first drive (against Indiana). It's just been a lot of things the guys have been managing and working through." 

The announcement is now one less distraction and opportunity to take away from football now it's the team's turn to be supporting Brown as he comes to grips with everything not just now but for the future as well.

"Teammates have been great, the staff has been great. I know how our fanbase is. I know how passionate our fanbase is," Franklin said. "I know after losses how passionate they can be but I also know how much they rally around situations like this and he's going to need it. I think the other thing is, it's not just short term, it's long term. We're going to have to continue to support him not just for the next few days." 

More from Franklin's post-practice availability: 

• On changes made to bring the team closer: "Some of the changes we made this week, which I think are critical, we had our first team meeting yesterday. Just a change I felt like we needed to make. I'm a relational leader and talking on Zoom sessions every single day to the team, it just doesn't have the same type of connection so we did in-person team meetings in Holuba, had everybody spread out in Holuba and did it in-person. I had to explain how to have a team meeting, half the players didn't know how we do team meetings. Four of the staff members didn't know how we do team meetings and that was the best practice we had this year, on Tuesday. 

We had our entire team broke up into three locker rooms, players in Pegula, players in Holuba, players in Lasch and based on guidelines we were able to get a few more players in to Lasch and then a few more players into Holuba so rather being in three locker rooms, we can be in two and get more of that chemistry that we need and want. I felt as connected with the team on Tuesday after having an in-person team meeting as I've felt in a while. I don't want that to be misinterpreted. Sitting on a Zoom call, trying to engage your team and to try to motivate your team and you've been doing that for I don't know how long, we just felt like that needed to change."

• On dealing with distractions: "At the end of the day, we got to get it done no matter what. I will tell you all these things have had an impact. I know they've had an impact on me. I have spent a lot of time on non-football things whether that's throughout the day, throughout practice and I know that was one of the things and I don't want this to be misinterpreted, we are staying vigilant and attacking, making sure our protocols keep everybody as safe and healthy as we possibly can. During practice, I'm going to let the trainers and the doctors handle Covid and I'm going to coach football and I know that sounds ridiculous but Ive been spending a lot of time trying to manage those other things as well and I feel like I got a responsibility for that as a head coach but I also have a responsibility to make sure we play well. It's just been a lot of different things going on and every state is different in how they deal with it and every school is different in how they deal with it. Every doctor is different in how they deal with it. Every head coach is different in how they deal with it and I took that role and that job very serious and I still do."

• On the return of offensive lineman Juice Scruggs after a serious car accident: "Our trainer got up in front of the team and got emotional about it. That was a serious car accident so to see that kid battle back and to sacrifice and do all the things he had to do to get back in a position to be able to play and to be able play at a high level. We think he's got a very bright future. We were very excited about him when we got him and when he showed up on campus. To see him back is cool. It's special for the kid and it's special for the program but it's amazing what medicine can do now."