Penn State's 'They said it': Antonio Shelton compares one Lion to Santa Claus, James Franklin on extending PSU-Pitt, more
Penn State tight end Nick Bowers is upended by Kentucky safety Darius West during the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
By Bob Flounders | bflounders@pennlive.com
STATE COLLEGE -- James Franklin brought his 'A' game to the interview room on Tuesday and so did Penn State redshirt junior defensive tackle Antonio Shelton. Here are some of the most interesting comments from Franklin, Shelton and fifth-year senior tight end Nick Bowers …
Franklin on changing signals after former Lion John Petrishen transferred to Pittsburgh:
"You know, you also get into this situation with new NCAA rules and guys leaving one program and going to another. We have a young man that was part of our program for four years, John Petrishen, who is now at Pitt,'' Franklin said, referring to the Lions' former safety.
"So when that happened, we knew that we were going to have to make some changes at that point. So we have changed -- we didn't wait till this week to do it. We did it right when that was announced, but obviously we had to change all of our signals, you know, especially on defense and on offense, as well, but especially on defense because he knows all of our signals and those types of things. That was something we had to do right away."
Antonio Shelton on preparing for Pittsburgh:
"I mean, playing in the Big Ten East, you're used to people running the ball,'' Shelton said. "You play teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and we played Wisconsin last year. Like that's all they do is run the ball. I think that it definitely helped us out in the sense that, you know, just kind of knowing what to expect a little bit more. The level of competition was raised a little bit.
"So it's kind of like, okay, I guess now it's really time to like -- it's time to play football now, like real football now, you know what I mean."
Penn State head coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer celebrate after Pittsburgh running back Darrin Hall was tackled in the end zone for a safety during the third quarter at Heinz Field on Sept. 8, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Franklin on the future of the Penn State-Pittsburgh game after this year:
"I could see us possibly maybe doing a neutral site game with them. I think that's a possibility,'' said Franklin, knowing Saturday's game is the final contest of the four-year contract. "You know, we could have discussions. But we've got to be creative about it. Again, the challenges with us that have a ninth conference game and them having eight, there's some problems with home and home.
"But we're open. We're open to having discussions. But it's got to equally make sense for both parties. It's got to make sense for Pitt. It's got to make sense for Penn State. I think this game will be sold out, but we had 104,000 last week, so we're talking about probably an increase of 5,000 or 6,000. So it needs to be consistent for both parties."
Nick Bowers on watching quarterback Sean Clifford grow into a leader:
"He's a guy that prepares very hard,'' Shelton said. "He comes in -- try to come in with different positions to help them with different things and different schemes. He's been preparing like he's a starter for the past two years. We've noticed that. For us, like even in spring ball, the past couple years, we knew that Sean was going to be special, and the last couple games, he'll really getting in a rhythm. Everyone on the team supports Sean and we're excited."
Franklin on fifth-year corner John Reid's strong start:
"I couldn't be happier for John Reid," Franklin said. "He's a guy that's really built his entire career the right way. He's a man-made guy. He's earned everything that he's gotten, and I'm just really happy for him.
"I just think this year is just going to continue to grow. He is playing at a really high level right now and is extremely confident. Can run with people. Can tackle. He's got tremendous instincts and studies the game as good as anybody. So I'm really pleased with him."
Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher tackle Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson during the second quarter on Sept. 7, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Shelton on the growth of second-year defensive tackle PJ Mustipher:
"You know, the jump that 'P' has taken from last year to this year, is like really cool to see,'' Shelton said. "Because first of all, it's very hard to play as a true freshman, as a defensive tackle at this school and in this conference.
"So I think what 'P' is he took his work ethic to a whole other level in the summer and the spring. I think that's what Coach means on that. His effort is consistent. He's going to play a hundred miles an hour from the snap to the whistle. He's very physical.
"He's always willing to learn. He gels very well with everybody else. He's like a really big like jolly type of dude. He's like Santa Claus. You'll hear him before you see him. He'll just come in the room yelling. Way to go, PJ."
Franklin on rapidly developing second-year tight end Pat Freiermuth:
"He's bigger. He's stronger. He's leaner,'' Franklin said. "He's more athletic. He's quicker. He's faster. All of those types of things and he's confident. Part of playing faster is not just that his body fat has dropped, but also because he's confident in what to do and how to do it. You know, I'm very pleased with him. We obviously feel like we've got one of the best, if not the best tight end in college football, and I think that will continue to grow, and really, that unit, that group, we think is fantastic.
"And I think the thing about him is he does both things well, where you're going to find some tight ends that may put up gaudy numbers in the pass game, but they are not the same type of player in the run game. That's where I think he's pretty unique and we're pretty excited about him."
Franklin's take on the last three Penn State-Pittsburgh games:
"The games have been awesome,'' Franklin said. "I mean, the games have been awesome. That first game was an unbelievable game. The environment, I think we had the largest crowd in Heinz Field history for any sporting event, isn't that correct? I mean, that's pretty cool. You know, that's pretty cool. We've had environments and crowds here that we have probably two or three times a year, but good, really good.
"Been very competitive. You know, again, there's some things like I mentioned before, that I don't know if it necessarily brings out the best in both fan bases and both teams and both staffs at times, including ours and myself. But there's no doubt about it; I get it and I understand the significance of it. A lot of it is just bragging rights."