Penn State Football

Players on the Penn State Nittany Lions supported safety Jonathan Sutherland after he received a racist letter earlier this week.

Prior to Penn State's game Saturday night at Iowa, safety Lamont Wade, among others, wore a T-shirt directly combatting the letter during warm-ups:

Football personnel collected and then took away all of the shirts the players were wearing, according to The Athletic's Audrey Snyder.

"While we are supportive of our students expressing themselves in a thoughtful manner, they are expected to wear team-issued apparel on game day," Penn State Athletics said afterward. "We asked our students to remove the shirts out of an abundance of caution for NCAA compliance."

Defensive tackle Antonio Shelton shared the letter sent to Sutherland on Twitter on Monday, in which a Penn State alumnus criticized the safety's "awful hair" and called his dreadlocks "disgusting":

Sutherland confirmed he was the recipient and responded with a note of his own on Tuesday.

"Let this be one of the many examples to us that in the year 2019, people of different cultures, religions, and ethnicities are still being discriminated against and it needs to stop," he wrote, in part:

Head coach James Franklin also commented on the matter Tuesday.

"The football that I know and love brings people together and embraces differences—black, white, brown, Catholic, Jewish or Muslim, rich or poor, rural or urban, Republican or Democrat. Long hair, short hair, no hair, they're all in that locker room together," Franklin said, per USA Today's Chris Bumbaca. "Teams all over this country are the purest form of humanity that we have. We don't judge, we embrace differences. We live. We learn. We grow. We support and we defend each other. We're a family."

Penn State coach James Franklin addressed the racist letter sent by alumnus David Petersen to safety Jonathan Sutherland, calling him one of the "most respected players in our program" in a meeting with reporters Tuesday:

"Teams all over this country are the purest form of humanity that we have. We don't judge; we embrace differences. We live, we learn, we grow, we support, and we defend each other. We're a family.

"Penn State football, Penn State University and Happy Valley provide the same opportunities to embrace each other on 12 Saturdays each fall. Penn State football brings people together like very few things on this planet —110,000 fans from all different backgrounds throughout our region from all different parts of this state and they're hugging and high-fiving and singing 'Sweet Caroline' together. This is my football. This is the game that I love and, most importantly, my players that I love and will defend like sons. Ultimately, this is the definition and embodiment of what 'We Are' is all about.

"Lastly, Jonathan Sutherland is one of the most respected players in our program. He's the ultimate example of what our program is all about. He's a captain, he's a Dean's List honor student, and he's confident, he's articulate, he's intelligent, he's thoughtful, he's caring, and he's committed. He's got two of the most supportive parents, and I would be so blessed if one of my daughters married someone with his character and integrity one day."

Sutherland released a statement on Tuesday, calling the letter "rude, ignorant, and judging" and Petersen's thoughts "degrading." However, he said he took no offense to the comments made because "I must respect you as a person before I respect your opinion."

"At the end of the day, without an apology needed, I forgive this individual because I'm nowhere close to being perfect and I expect God to forgive me for all the wrong I've done in my life," Sutherland wrote in the statement. "Let this be one of the many examples to us that in the year 2019, people of different cultures, religions, and ethnicities are still being discriminated against and it needs to stop."

Petersen, a Nittany Lions alumni from Johnstown, Pennsylvania who has penned multiple other letters with racially insensitive overtones, sent Sutherland a letter calling his hair "awful." He described Sutherland's dreadlocks as "disgusting" and "not attractive" while calling for a dress code for athletes and longing for a time when athletes were "clean-cut."

The letter has widely been derided by members of the Penn State community. The university released a statement condemning the message and saying "we strive to create an atmosphere that promotes inclusivity and respect."

Petersen has publicly stood by his statements made in the letter, telling Chip Minemyer of the Tribune-Democrat his comment was not racially motivated. 

"It wasn't threatening or anything. I was just disgruntled about some of the hairdos that we're seeing," Petersen said. "You think of Penn State as a bunch of clean-cut guys. And you do see so many who are clean cut. But the tattoos and the hair—there are a lot of guys with hair coming down their backs and it just looks awful. And it's the same for the NFL and NBA, too."

Sutherland is a junior and team captain for the undefeated Nittany Lions. Numerous teammates have posted messages of support on social media this week. 

Penn State defensive tackle Antonio Shelton posted a racist letter one of his teammates received that degraded the recipient and implored him to cut his dreadlocks:

The letter was directed to "Jonathan" and signed "Dave Petersen" and explains the writer and his wife are "proud 'older' graduates of Penn State" who follow all sports and not just football. 

In the second paragraph, the alumnus says he and his wife miss "clean-cut young men and women" and criticizes the player's dreadlocks:

"Though the athletes of today are certainly superior to those in my days; we miss the clean cut young men and women from those days. Watching the Idaho game on TV we couldn’t help but notice your—well—awful hair. Surely there must be mirrors in the locker room! Don’t you have parents or girlfriend who’ve told you those shoulder length dreadlocks look disgusting and are certainly not attractive."

It goes on to say: "You need to remember you represent all Penn Staters both current and those alumni from years past. We would welcome the reappearance of dress codes for athletes."

The writer also explains he has stopped watching the NFL because some players have tattoos, "awful hair" and celebrate in the end zone.

While Shelton did not reveal which teammate received the letter, Anthony Colucci of Onward State pointed out safety Jonathan Sutherland is the only player on the team who spells his first name that way. 

Sutherland also sports dreadlocks.

Penn State is off to a 5-0 start and is No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25. It faces the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road Saturday in what promises to be a significant test.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trace McSorley, who played college football at Penn State, took to Twitter on Wednesday to defend James Franklin after a former team doctor said the Nittany Lions coach pressured him to rush players back from injury in a lawsuit.

"With everything being said about Coach Franklin and how he has handled injuries in the past, I feel obligated to share my experiences," McSorley wrote. "When I injured my knee against Iowa, I never once felt pressured to go back in the game by Coach Franklin. He continually checked on me and how I felt, even telling me not to push it. That message continued throughout the week, as we prepared for our next game."

McSorley then shared an experience from Penn State's Citrus Bowl appearance last year, when the quarterback injured his foot. The senior played despite the injury, nearly leading Penn State to a comeback win over Kentucky.

McSorley said he made the decision to re-enter the game for both of his injuries and never felt any pressure by the coaching staff.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley also defended Franklin, saying the coach was supportive during his 2015 ankle injury.

"I personally wanted to get back on the field as fast as I could," Barkley told NJ Advance Media's Matt Lombardo. "And play as fast as I could. James Franklin was awesome for me. I tried to force it and he just wouldn't allow me force it. I sat out the next two weeks and was able to come out and be healthy the rest of the season."

Dr. Scott A. Lynch sued Franklin and Penn State, among others, this week, saying he lost his positions on the medical staff after reporting to upper management that the coach was pressuring him to clear players. According to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, Lynch says "on multiple and repeated occasions, defendant James Franklin attempted to interfere with the plaintiff's autonomous authority to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions related to student-athletes."

Penn State and Franklin have denied the allegations. In a statement provided to Reyes, Penn State Heath said it plans to "vigorously defend our program." Lynch was removed from his positions in February.

"I think you guys all know (Monday) Penn State Health issued a statement rejecting Dr. Lynch's claims. We'll continue to defend our program and all its participants on this matter," Franklin told reporters. "As always, the health and well-being of our student-athletes is of the utmost importance to us."

Franklin is entering his sixth season as Penn State's head coach. He's compiled a 45–21 record.

New York Giants star Saquon Barkley spoke positively about Penn State head coach James Franklin after a former Nittany Lions team doctor filed a lawsuit alleging Franklin pressured him to clear injured players for game action.

An ankle injury forced Barkley to miss two games as a freshman in 2015. He said Tuesday he might've come back sooner—before he was physically ready—were it not for Franklin.

"I personally wanted to get back on the field as fast as I could," Barkley said, per NJ Advance Media's Matt Lombardo. "And play as fast as I could. James Franklin was awesome for me. I tried to force it, and he just wouldn't allow me force it. I sat out the next two weeks and was able to come out and be healthy the rest of the season."

Barkey, who declared for the 2018 NFL draft after his junior season, added Franklin has "been nothing but a role model and mentor to me."

According to USA Today's Lorenzo Reyes, Dr. Scott A. Lynch alleged in his lawsuit that "on multiple and repeated occasions, defendant James Franklin attempted to interfere with the plaintiff's autonomous authority to determine medical management and return-to-play decisions related to student-athletes."

Lynch also said his tenure on the Penn State athletic staff ended in March after he attempted to report the allegations against Franklin to university officials.

In June, the National Athletic Trainers' Association released the results of a study in which 19 percent of the respondents reported an instance of a coach playing a student-athlete who was "medically out of participation," per ESPN's Paula Lavigne.

The survey cited one example in which an unnamed Division I football coach personally spoke to players who were set to undergo shoulder surgery in order to have them available for spring practice. At least two players declined to have the procedure following the conversation.

The FBS' Power Five conferences rolled out regulations in January 2016 centering around the level of autonomy provided to trainers and medical personnel. Under those rules, a coach wouldn't have the unilateral authority to make personnel moves on the training staff. Trainers would also have the last word on whether a student-athlete was healthy enough to play.

Former Penn State team doctor Dr. Scott A. Lynch has filed a lawsuit against the university and head football coach James Franklin after claiming he was pressured to clear injured football players to return to games, according to Matt Miller of Penn Live.

Franklin reportedly "repeatedly tried to influence his decisions regarding whether hurt players were fit to play."

Lynch believes his complaints about the coach led to his removal as orthopedic physician for the football team and director of athletic medicine for the university, and he is suing the school for more than $50,000 in damages.

Other defendants named in the lawsuit are PSU Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, Senior Associate Athletic Director Charmelle Green, the chair of orthopedics and rehabilitation Dr. Kevin P. Black and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Lynch believes his termination violated Pennsylvania's Whistleblower Law as well as NCAA and Big Ten regulations.

Penn State Health issued a statement denying the allegations while claiming the decision to make a change in February was made "with the best interests of student-athletes in mind, given the increasing complexity and growing demands of sports medicine, as well as health care in general."

Franklin is heading into his sixth year with Penn State after spending three years as a head coach at Vanderbilt. 

Former Penn State president Graham Spanier was due to report to jail Wednesday for a minimum sentence of two months, but his child endangerment conviction was thrown out Tuesday. 

Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press reported the news, noting U.S. Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick made the decision. As a result, Pennsylvania state prosecutors will have three months to retry him under the 1995 version of the state's child endangerment law which was in effect in 2001.

"[Judge Mehalchick] agreed with Spanier's argument he was improperly charged under a 2007 law for actions that occurred in 2001, when he was responding to a complaint about Jerry Sandusky showering with a boy on campus," Scolforo wrote.

Sandusky served as a Penn State assistant coach under late head coach Joe Paterno, who died in 2012. Paterno was fired after Sandusky was arrested in 2011.

An investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh concluded members of the athletics department and university administration, including Spanier, covered up for Sandusky, who molested multiple children while employed by the school, which led to NCAA sanctions against the Penn State football program. Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse in June 2012. 

Scolforo noted Spanier was forced out as university president in 2011 after Sandusky’s arrest.

Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens has become the latest entrant into the NCAA's transfer portal. 

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported Stevens' decision. The Athletic's Audrey Snyder confirmed it, adding he already graduated from the school in December. 

The Nittany Lions are looking for a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years now that Trace McSorley has graduated. 

Head coach James Franklin told reporters after last week's spring game that they weren't ready to name a starter for 2019.

"We want to be able to name the starter as soon as we possibly can, but we are not ready to do that right now and it's going to need to be more of a true competition," Franklin said.

Sean Clifford received the bulk of the playing time because Stevens was held out with an undisclosed leg injury that's already required two different surgical procedures. 

With Stevens entering the transfer portal, Clifford would seem to be in the driver's seat as Penn State's starter. The redshirt sophomore arrived at Happy Valley as a 4-star prospect and the No. 8 pro-style quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Stevens has appeared in 20 games over the past three seasons. He's primarily been used in running situations and has 506 yards and eight touchdowns on 76 carries. 

If attorney Al Lindsay wins his petition, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky will get a new trial after he was originally sentenced to 30-60 years in prison following a 2012 conviction on 45 counts of child molestation.

According to A.J. Perez of USA Today, Lindsay held a news conference Monday to announce he will file a petition with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the hope of landing a new trial. Perez noted a similar filing was already denied but a re-sentencing request was granted.

"One of the problems we have confronted that people don't want to deal with is this: Suppose I'm telling you the truth," Lindsay said. "Suppose that Jerry Sandusky is absolutely innocent. Do you realize the horror of what this has brought on a family, a man an institution—and it's all a big lie? Suppose that I'm right."

Perez explained Lindsay pointed to a 2018 report compiled by five current and two former members of Penn State's board of trustees that said there were flaws in the report by former head of FBI, Louis Freeh.

The Freeh report said there was a cover-up of Sandusky's crimes by the school, which led to the NCAA issuing sanctions.

Susan Snyder of The Inquirer reported on the 2018 report criticizing Freeh and noted it "asserts that the former FBI director didn't have the evidence to blame the school's football 'culture' as he did, much less prove that its leaders knew of or conspired to cover up Jerry Sandusky's attacks on children."

Lindsay also plans on arguing exculpatory evidence was not fully disclosed to Sandusky's original legal team prior to his trial that resulted in conviction.

"A small but vocal segment of the Penn State community, the deniers continue to detract from the real victims in this case by trying to convince the public that Coach Paterno and his football legacy were somehow instead the victims," Freeh said, per Perez. "The deniers continue to embarrass the many thousands of outstanding Penn State students, faculty, and alumni by blindly disregarding the uncontroverted facts in favor of a misguided agenda."

Sandusky was an assistant coach at the school under the late Joe Paterno, who was fired in 2011 following Sandusky's arrest. Paterno died in 2012, the same year the Freeh report was released and Sandusky was convicted.

On Friday, Penn State reached an agreement on a contract extension with athletic director Sandy Barbour through the 2022-23 academic year.

Barbour issued a statement on her new deal, as 247Sports' Mark Brennan shared:

"I am very appreciative of President (Eric) Barron’s and the Board of Trustees' confidence in my leadership and their steadfast belief in intercollegiate athletics as a powerful and positive influence on our institution and community. It has been a privilege and an honor to lead this program the last four-plus years, and I look forward to the great work that lies ahead on behalf of student-athlete development and success. I am fortunate to get to work every day with the most talented coaches and staff in the country and the most passionate alumni, donors and fans ever known to mankind. Our future is limitless!"

Penn State president Eric Barron expressed his support for Barbour, per Brennan:

"Sandy has consistently promoted excellence in intercollegiate athletics—in academics and athletic competitions, and she is widely hailed among the best athletic directors in the nation. She is a powerful advocate for those who wear the blue and white, and her leadership has help advance our shared vision of what intercollegiate athletics can be. I'm proud of our student-athletics, the coaches and staff, and I'm very pleased that Sandy will be able to lead them to even greater success."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

An extension has been in the works for some time. In December, Barbour revealed that she was in the process of finalizing a multiyear deal to remain with the university.

"This is my last stop," Barbour told reporters in December. "Where would I want to go that's a better opportunity, a better fit for me than Penn State? And this next contract will certainly help me do that."

While a deal appeared to be imminent, it could not be completed until the Penn State board of trustees' compensation committee gave its approval. That happened this week.

Barbour became the first female athletic director in Penn State history when she was hired in July 2014. According to the Associated Press (via USA Today), she was given a five-year contract that featured a $700,000 base salary and included up to $200,000 in annual bonuses.

Prior to arriving in Happy Valley, she spent a decade as the athletic director for the California Golden Bears.