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Trace McSorley latest former player to back James Franklin amidst lawsuit

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

It sounds like most of James Franklin’s ex-players are not buying the accusations filed against him in a recent lawsuit.

That lawsuit alleges Franklin put pressure on an ex-team doctor, Dr. Scott A. Lynch, to clear injured players to return to the field. It remains to be seen what comes of that, but a number of former players have jumped to defend Franklin.

Saquon Barkley, a former star running back for the Nittany Lions who is now in the NFL, was one of a handful to speak highly of Franklin’s handling of a specific injury. A teammate of Barkley’s also joined the fray to defend his former coach.

RELATED: James Franklin issues response to former Penn State team doctor’s lawsuit

Star quarterback Trace McSorley is definitely a guy that knows about playing through pain, but he made it clear Wednesday evening it was never pressure from Franklin that led him to return quickly. He specifically cited a knee injury against Iowa and a foot injury in his final game with Penn State as examples.

According to McSorley, Franklin always told him not to push it when it came to these injuries. In the end, it was McSorley that decided to return to action in the Citrus Bowl while dealing with a foot injury:

That doesn’t automatically mean that Franklin never put pressure on his staff to clear players. However, it sure looks like some of his biggest stars with the Nittany Lions aren’t buying the accusations.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.