In Less Than a Decade, James Franklin’s Signature Line Has Gone From Battle Cry to Whisper to Something Worth Shouting Once Again
On a dreary, rainy, #basic January Pennsylvania afternoon that won’t wind up pictured in any travel brochures shelved up at Denny’s, newly-hired Penn State coach James Franklin literally opened his mouth, figuratively lifted his leg, and definitively marked his territory during his 2014 introductory press conference when he said:
“Our recruiting philosophy: We are going to dominate the state. We’re going to dominate the state. …That is going to be our plan, and I’m calling all the high school coaches, I’m calling all the people in the state, that we need to come together like never before. And I think with everybody pulling the rope in the same direction, there’s no reason why we can’t take this program where everybody wants it to be.”
In retrospect, the genius of that quote (and the reason it stuck) wasn’t the slogan itself – although, hand up, it was catchy as heck – but rather the time at which Franklin spouted it. Though draconian NCAA sanctions were eventually truncated in September 2014, remember when Franklin initially took the job Penn State was still two full seasons away from being permitted to compete for the Big Ten title or even earn a bowl invite.
No postseason. No trophies. No rings.
