Report: Christian Hackenberg blamed James Franklin in NFL interviews
Publicly, Christian Hackenberg said all the right things in the pre-draft interview process.
When he was interviewed by media members at the combine in Indianapolis, Hackenberg didn’t point fingers when questioned about his struggles under James Franklin.
That, allegedly, is a different story than what happened behind closed doors. According to Monday Morning NFL Quarterback’s Robert Klemko, Hackenberg put the blame on his coach during his interviews with NFL teams.
“Per two personnel sources on two separate teams who have shown interest in drafting Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, the quarterback has said all the wrong things in interviews when asked to explain his declining sophomore and junior numbers (a combined 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions). Hackenberg has shifted blame to coach James Franklin, who took over in 2014 when coach Bill O’Brien departed for the Texans. Said one evaluator: “Despite the fact that it’s probably true, you don’t want to hear a kid say that.”
Shifting blame doesn’t necessary mean that Hackenberg bashed Franklin. For all we know, he could’ve just said that he wasn’t the right fit in Franklin’s system, which he obviously wasn’t. His dip in production his sophomore and junior years explained that.
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Still, as Klemko said, Hackenberg’s interviews could potentially scare more teams away. Many are still questioning whether or not he’s capable of looking like the quarterback who lit up his pro day.
That’s the good news for Hackenberg. The last image scouts saw of him on the field was impressive, and there still could be a second-round suitor for him.
But the last thing a quarterback with question marks needs is more question marks.