Big Ten Media Days - Penn State Players

The Penn State players are put in an impossible spot, but they have to do more to understand the situation.

Preview 2012

Conversation with PSU Players

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By Pete Fiutak

The Penn State players are put in an impossible spot.

Because few people representing the Penn State football program and university seem capable of saying the right thing or hitting the correct public relations tone, it’s asking too much for the players to be the ones to properly handle the load.

Yes, it’s admirable that several players want to stay and want to fight through the adversity, and yes, they didn’t cause the problem that led to the mess. However, while no one signed on for the task of having to deal with the aftermath of such a horrific scandal, that’s the deal and it’s not going to change. If they choose to stay, then yes, it’s a bad beat and it’s not fair, but they’re choosing to deal with the fallout and the scrutiny whether they like it or not.

They’ve been given an out by the NCAA. They can choose to finish up their careers elsewhere for whatever reason, but for those who choose to stay it’s vital that they realize that doing so entails more than simply talking about football. And that’s the problem.

The Freeh report warned that Penn State placed too much of an emphasis on winning football games, but as long as the NCAA is letting the doors stay open it will be head coach Bill O’Brien’s job to try to win and it’s up to the players to put more points on the board than the other team.

However, when the players try to talk football, football, football – like they’re supposed to do as football players – it can come across like all they care about is a dumb game at a time when the scandal is still so hot.

The players are in a no-win situation. 

They’re trying to say the right things and they’re trying their best. Guard John Urschel, linebacker Michael Mauti and defensive tackle Jordan Hill are smart, articulate men who, in a position of leadership. However, they need to better understand exactly why the punishments were handed down in order to help take the program forward.

There will be a time to talk about Penn State football again. That time isn't now.

Penn State OG John Urschel

As one of the leaders of the team now, what can you say and do to prove that things really are going to be different at Penn State?

JU: I think we already have been saying and doing the right things. Coach (Bill) O’Brien has done a great job so far just taking control of this program and doing things the right way. He’s committed to playing good football and disciplined football, and at the same time being a part of the community. And he has really focused on the academics. He really wants us to focus on getting an education.

Did you read the Freeh report?

JU: I didn’t read it. I try to stay away from the media.

But that’s not the media. How can you help change the program if you don’t know the facts of the past?

JU: These things occurred over a decade ago. We were all children at the time.

Yeah, it might not be fair to you guys, but how is the rest of the world supposed to believe that Penn State football is changing if the players themselves don’t understand why all of this is happening?

JU: It doesn’t matter if it’s fair or not, but that’s the position we’re in. We’re here trying to represent Penn State the best that we can. I’m sure there are better people who could, but this is what you have and we’re trying to do our best.

How much peer pressure is there on the younger guys to stay around?

JU: There’s no peer pressure. We’ve made it extremely clear that we’re a family here and that if someone leaves we wish them the best. We only want people here who want to be here and are willing to go to war with us and fight it out every Saturday.

Penn State LB Michael Mauti

Did you read the Freeh report?

MM: Yeah. I read it.

Did you believe the findings?

MM: I don’t want to get into that. That’s a touchy subject.

What is going to be your lasting impression of Joe Paterno?

MM: I just want to talk about this team. That’s in the past.

What are your thoughts on Tim Beckman and Illinois recruiting Penn State players?

MM: They weren’t coming after me personally, but it’s a FACT that they reached out to our players, and it’s a FACT that they were in and around our campus. I’m not going to get into this and make it a feuding thing, but if you’re in our conference and you’re going to try to steal our players and then wish us well, well then I have a serious problem with that.

So you don’t buy into their line that they’re giving you an “opportunity” to go elsewhere?

MM: No, that’s not an opportunity. That’s not helping anyone. That’s not helping us. We didn’t want to be in this situation. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not breaking any rules because there are no rules here. Our team has been set up to just fall apart piece by piece and guys can go anywhere they want, and to say that that’s helping us and to say that that’s doing us a service by getting ten to 12 calls a day saying coaches are waiting outside of our apartments and our classrooms, that’s not helping us.

Do you get a sense in any way that nobody wants to be the first to leave? You’re committed to stay, and Silas Redd might go, but among the lesser known players is there a concern that if one player goes then the floodgates might open?

MM: I think that the longer that this goes on and the longer we stick together, the more influence we have being loyal to the program. The other guys have a decision to make for what’s best for them and I hope that they make the right decision.

While it’s not fair to you and the players and the coaches, do you understand that someone has to pay the price for what happened?

MM: I understand that. But at the same time – don’t get me wrong, we came out yesterday swinging a little bit – our hearts go out to these victims. We’re not forgetting about those people – we’re really not. They had something happen to them that can’t be taken away. We understand that. We’re in the position that we are and this has landed in our lap, so we’re going to do the best that we can for the Penn State community. It’s our job to make everyone proud and get past the tragedy, and our hearts go out to those victims, but at the same time we have to try to move on from the negative - we have a season to play.

Penn State DT Jordan Hill

Other than by winning, how does this football program start healing?

JH: Staying together and going forward and playing football. If we just sat there and gave up, we’d regret it for the rest of our lives.

You keep saying that the team is close to staying together, but is it a case of no one wanting to be first to leave?

JH: That might be the case, but I’m not sure. Everybody has told us that they want to stay, but if something happens, then you don’t know what might happen next.

I know you’re committed to staying, but at the same time, is there a part of you that wonders what your season and career could be like if you went somewhere else? Is there any part of you that thinks maybe you could go be the missing piece of a national title puzzle somewhere – maybe like Silas Redd if he goes to USC – as opposed to beating your head against the wall by dealing with all of this?

JH: A number of schools have contacted me. I don’t think that if I’m staying I’m beating my head against a wall. I’m fine with adversity. All of my life I’ve gone through adversity, so for me to run away from a situation would take away from my character. That’s just how I’ve always played and how I’ve always handled everything, dealing with things that aren’t always normal. I’m staying no matter what.

Did you read the Freeh report?

JH: I don’t get into that. I don’t think there’s one person who read the Freeh report.

But how can you be one of the leaders going forward if you don’t know everything that happened?

JH: Because all of that was based on their opinion. They weren't all facts.

Even though the school accepted the findings?

JH: I don’t think there’s any need for us to read it and dwell on something. You guys will do your best jobs to get it out there, and if we see it on twitter or something we’ll read it then, but for us to go out and read the whole thing, there’s no need for it.