being a part of this family with the tradition of football

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- James Franklin grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, a strong-willed if not exactly strong-armed high school quarterback who believed he was good enough to play at Penn State. Joe Paternos coaching staff didnt exactly agree, and while Franklins arm led to him a decorated career at Division II East Stroudsburg (Pa.), his will led him to the place he wanted to be all along. Home. More than two decades after a futile attempt to draw Penn States attention as a player, the university hired the charismatic 41-year-old as its next head coach on Saturday. "Im a Pennsylvania boy," Franklin said, "with a Penn State heart." One charged with continuing the painstaking and sometimes painful rebuilding process started by Bill OBrien, who took over in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal more than two years ago. But OBrien bolted for the NFLs Houston Texans on New Years Eve, opening the door for Franklin, who breathed life into a moribund program at Vanderbilt, winning 24 games over three seasons and leading the Commodores to three straight bowl games. More will be expected here -- eventually. Thats fine by Franklin, who insists he didnt sign the six-year contract reportedly worth around $4.5 million a season to use the Nittany Lions as a stepping stone. Franklin littered his hour-long introduction with all the right touches. Wearing a blue suit with a blue-and-white tie, he called Penn State his "dream job" and dubbed Saturday "the best day of my life" before quickly amending it to the "third best" after his wedding day to his wife Fumi and the birth of their twin daughters Addy and Shola. Pointing to his family as they watched from the front row, Franklin described himself as having "two daughters and 95 new sons." Yet he knows the branches of the family tree run far deeper. He promised to reconnect the glorious past with what he believes is an ambitious future and vowed to have lunch with every provost and dean while pledging not to turn down any speaking engagement. "Well do everything we can to bring this community back together," he said, "and really take pride in this program." A pride still in the process of healing following the shocking revelations about Sanduskys criminal behaviour and the subsequent fallout that included Paternos unceremonious firing after 45 years at the helm. Then, there were the near-fatal NCAA sanctions that stripped the program of dozens of scholarships and barred the school from post-season competition for four years. As far as OBrien brought Penn State in two years, leading Penn State to a 15-9 record and ushering the Nittany Lions fully into the 21st century, much work remains to be done. The standard isnt to merely be competitive. Scanning a throng that dwarfed anything Franklin ever saw at Vanderbilt in a facility that in many ways rivals the jewels found in places like Alabama and Oregon, Franklin left little doubt as to his intentions. "Our plan is to go out and win a bunch of games," he said, "so we can stay here a long time." Its something Franklin insists he planned on doing at Vanderbilt, where he produced one of the more stirring turnarounds in recent college football history. The Commodores went 16-4 over his final 20 games, second only to Alabama over that span in the SEC. Vanderbilt won the final seven games of 2012 and the final five of 2013. And, Franklin led Vanderbilt into the final Associated Press poll each of the past two seasons, including No. 24 in the rankings released Tuesday. As impressive as Franklins credentials may be, Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner believes they put Franklin through the "most thorough vetting process of any search perhaps of any position at this university." One that included delving into rape accusations against four Vanderbilt players last June. Franklin dismissed all four players and a fifth Commodore who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of attempting to cover up the crime. Authorities have not implicated Franklin in any way and Joyner praised Franklin for his decisive action in what Franklin called "the most challenging thing Ive ever been through personally." Other challenges await. Theres the initial scramble to cobble together a recruiting class over the next month before National Signing Day and the assembling of a staff that will help the Nittany Lions take on Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan State in a new-look league that will add Maryland and Rutgers. Theres also finding a way to move forward while paying homage to the past. Franklin mentioned Paterno three times by name and recalled crossing paths with the college football Hall of Famer while out on the recruiting trail as an assistant at Maryland. "I walked in and had to show my I.D. and do everything I possibly could to get into the school," Franklin said. "Joe walked in and shut the entire school down. They had an in-school assembly, and I realized I had no chance. I really had no chance." Now Franklin finds himself in Paternos position, as the face of a program that has ceded some fertile recruiting ground to places like Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Franklin believes its time for the Nittany Lions to reclaim their territory. "When I say Penn State, that is the whole state," he said. "That is the whole state. We will recruit every corner of this state, every school of this state, every neighbourhood of this state." Theyre neighbourhoods Franklin knows well. While his path through the coaching ranks included stops at Washington State, Idaho State and Kansas State, Franklin always seemed to find his way back to Pennsylvania. Its the place he knows best, a place where he watched his mother work multiple jobs to raise a family. He inherited her work ethic when the coaching bug hit after six months trying to play in Europe. His career began by living in the basement of a friend, realizing the same mental toughness that helped him set records as a quarterback at East Stroudsburg would serve him well on the sideline and in the living rooms of the young men he wanted to lead. Franklins role at Penn State, however, will extend far beyond wearing a headset on Saturdays. Its a role the business-like OBrien did with a determined professionalism. Where OBrien was taciturn, Franklin is decidedly more energetic, a coach who has no problem getting by on five hours of sleep or glad-handing boosters, alumni, students and faculty alike. He pledged to "dominate" the state, but do it "the right way." A way that he thinks will provide a blend of Paternos scholarly paternalism with a brash new mindset that produces enthralling football on the field and graduates off it. "Were going to unite the coaches, were going to unite the community," Franklin said "and build this program where everybody wants it to be." Gonzalo Castro Jersey . New York secured second place in the Metropolitan Division when the Philadelphia Flyers lost at Tampa Bay later Thursday. The Rangers will face either the Flyers or Columbus in the opening round of the post-season. The Rangers struggled throughout against the lowly Sabres and goalie Matt Hackett, who played in just his seventh NHL game of the season. Mahmoud Dahoud Jersey .500. The Jets have now won nine of their last 11, and five of their last six road games. With the win they moved to within two points of Vancouver in the west, the Canucks holding down the eighth spot. Vancouver lost in Boston, while the other big game saw Dallas win in Phoenix. http://www.dortmundfcfanshop.com/c-7-mar...und-jersey.aspx. Advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals should be a formality after Lionel Messi scored a penalty and Dani Alves added a late second to secure a commanding 2-0 advantage over City in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Andre Schurrle Jersey . Old times for a defence that has looked just plain old recently? "No," safety Ryan Clark said. "We used to be much better than that. Nuri Sahin Jersey . Indeed, must be among the greatest challenges in all of sports. The pressure he applies, from set to set, game to game, point to point, shot to shot.COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews will be the seventh member of his family to play in the NFL if he is drafted as expected in May. He knows his football lineage doesnt hurt him, but hopes that his work as a four-year starter for the Aggies is what really wows the scouts. "Its always been a little something to think about," Matthews said of his famous last name. "Its a special situation. Now that I finally have my shot Im just looking forward to going out and proving it doesnt matter what my name is, what matters is that I can play and Im capable. And I hope teams get that from me and not just going off my name." Matthews, the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, did position drills at A&Ms pro day on Wednesday. Afterward, he met with officials from the St. Louis Rams, who have the second overall pick in the draft. Matthews and Auburns Greg Robinson are considered to be the best offensive tackles available in the draft and most believe the Rams will choose one of them. Other members of the Matthews family who have played or are currently playing in the NFL are his grandfather Clay Matthews (offensive tackle, San Francisco), uncle Clay Matthews, Jr. (linebacker, Browns, Falcons), cousin Clay Matthews III (linebacker, Green Bay), brother Kevin Matthews (centre, Tennessee) and cousin Casey Matthews (linebacker, Philadelphia). He said growing up in that environment was invaluable to his development as a player. "It helps a lot," he said. "Its kind of like Ive been training for this whole process my whole life. Its really humbling, especcially being a part of this family with the tradition of football we have.dddddddddddd" Quarterback Johnny Manziel attended the event, but did not work out. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner is scheduled to throw for scouts on March 27. Manziel did not speak to reporters on Wednesday, but Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin answered questions about his departing star. "Obviously Ive got a different perspective than a lot of different folks from a human standpoint," Sumlin said when asked if theres anything people overlook about Manziel. "That will always be something special." Also in attendance was receiver Mike Evans, who also only watched the event after working out at the NFL combine last month. Representatives for all 32 NFL teams were at the event as nine other Aggies went through drills. Matthews played right tackle for his first three years at Texas A&M before switching to left tackle for his senior year. Sumlin said his versatility is one of his great qualities. "Hes such a team guy," Sumlin said. "So mature, patient. Hes strong. Hes athletic and has been a real leader in this program since the time we arrived. In my opinion, hes not just a tackle hes one of the few guys in the country that can play all five." Matthews hopes that returning for his senior season and playing another position will help his draft stock. "Teams can only take seven linemen in the NFL to games so youve got to have guys that can swing around and play different positions," he said. "So knowing that I can play either tackle, I think thats something that really helps me out a lot." 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