The Story Behind James Franklin's Electric Skateboard Video
Penn State coach James Franklin engages with nearly everyone whose path he crosses on his daily campus walks. Occasionally, he even agrees to a dare.
Recently, Franklin rode a single-wheel electric skateboard, known as a Onewheel, on campus, urged on by a few other riders. Yet Franklin, 49, looked pretty comfortable in the five-second video of the ride posted to social media.
During the Penn State Coaches Caravan, which returned in virtual form June 1, Franklin explained the moment and what prompted him to try it.
Franklin walks more than five miles daily around campus, circling Beaver Stadium, looping through the nearby Arboretum, and even heading downtown. Franklin greets everyone he walks past and "keeps track of who responds."
In late May, Franklin was pitched a chance to ride the single-wheel board. He took it.
"I jumped on, and they were kind of amazed that I didn't crack my head," Franklin said on the virtual Caravan presentation. "It was fun to do that."
Franklin also knew there might be consequences, particularly if he fell and the video went viral.
"I think that's why they asked me to get on," Franklin said, "because they started videotaping it and hoping that I was going to fall off."
Elsewhere during the 90-minute session, which featured softball coach Clarisa Crowell, women's soccer coach Erica Dambach and men's lacrosse coach Jeff Tambroni, Franklin discussed a variety of football topics. Here's a sampling.
Penn State's full roster of scholarship players will be on campus for both summer sessions. Five freshmen enrolled in May, while the remainder will arrive later this summer, Franklin said.
One unique carryover of the pandemic season and its related recruiting restrictions: A few freshmen arrived without having seen Penn State's campus before. Franklin met with players and their parents the night before school began. He asked one family, "Well, do you like it?"
"That was somewhat strange," Franklin said. "Fortunately, they loved it."
Franklin once again assured fans that they will love the new offense that coordinator Mike Yurcich brought with him from Texas. Franklin said the offense will be similar to that of 2016, when Penn State won the Big Ten title with a spread style and explosive plays.
Franklin also noted two differences: Quarterback Sean Clifford will take snaps from under center, and the offense will run a more up-tempo style than it has in the past.
"We will be in a situation where we will mix going under center a little bit, which I know is important to our fan base and our community," Franklin said. "That will be a part of what we do; not a big part, but it will be a part of what we do. Then one of the differences that we'll probably see is, we've never really been a tempo team. We haven't really gone fast, and that will be an aspect of our offense. It will just be one of a number of weapons."
Franklin's daughters are awaiting the second doses of their COVID-19 vaccines. Once they are fully vaccinated, Franklin said the family can reunite under one roof, and "I can give my wife and kids a hug and get back to somewhat normal from that standpoint."
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