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Penn State Football Coach James Franklin Apologizes for His Reaction at Press Conference

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Penn State Football Coach James Franklin Apologizes for His Reaction at Press Conference

Penn State football coach James Franklin apologized Saturday for the way he attracted media attention last week, choosing not to answer questions about two former players being accused of rape.

Franklin said he “didn’t do a good job” during last Wednesday’s post-practice media session when he stepped away from the microphone twice after being asked about the investigation of former players Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys. numerous rapes and indecent assaults. Players were suspended from the university and the football program before the season, but Franklin was not questioned about the situation until the accusations were made last week.

Before Franklin’s post-practice preparation, a Penn State spokesperson read the following statement: “We issued a statement (on Tuesday) stating that our program and athletic department will have no further comment regarding two former Penn State football players.” When the first question was asked, Franklin transferred to team spokespersonThose who read the description once again. When asked a second question about the timeline for removing players from the team, Franklin turned away from the media in Penn State’s Holuba Hall. He returned to answer questions about the Wisconsin game for about three more minutes and the session ended.

“The first thing I want to say is I want to apologize. I didn’t handle Wednesday very well,” Franklin said after the Nittany Lions game. We beat Wisconsin 28-13 at Camp Randall Stadium. “It’s a tough, tough situation and I have to admit I didn’t do a good job of it. I understand you have a job to do. You have to ask these questions and I respect that. The university had made a statement and the truth is that there isn’t much I can say other than that statement. This is an ongoing legal situation and it is challenging. It challenges everyone.”

Franklin’s reaction to the media presence quickly became a national story, and ESPN headlined it: “James Franklin refuses to comment on rape accusations against former Penn State football players.”

“At the end of the day, I didn’t do a good job of handling this situation and representing this program properly, so I wanted to take a moment and apologize for that,” Franklin said Saturday night in Madison. “I understand you guys have a job to do, so I didn’t do a good job there. Like anyone in a tough situation, I’m trying to get better. And I think that’s a big reason for all of this. It’s a tough situation and it’s a challenging situation, so I apologize.” I hope so.”

Lyons, 19, of Philadelphia, was charged with one count of rape, two counts of aggravated indecent assault without consent and one count of voluntary deviate sexual intercourse. Lyons was also charged with misdemeanor charges of indecent assault without consent and invasion of privacy. Keys, 19, of Richmond, Virginia, was charged with one count of rape, one count of aggravated indecent assault without consent and one count of sexual assault, all felonies. He was also charged with a misdemeanor charge of indecent assault without consent.

according to statement of probable causeThe 17-year-old Penn State student told police that Lyons and Keys “forcibly raped” her during an alleged incident on July 7. A second victim alleged that Lyons sexually assaulted her in an apartment on campus that same evening.

Penn State said in a statement on July 31 that both players were “temporarily suspended.” Football program at that time published a statement Prior to preseason media day on August 3, it was rumored that Lyons and Keys were no longer enrolled in college or with the football team.

“We are aware of the serious allegations against Mr. Keys and Mr. Lyons, who are no longer enrolled at the university,” Penn State said in a statement on Oct. 22. “The safety of our community is our top priority, and Penn State takes any report of sexual assault or misconduct very seriously and investigates any report.”

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Penn State on SI is your home for Penn State news, views and perspectives from the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has been covering Penn State for more than 20 years, covering three coaching staffs, three Big Ten books and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.

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