Lions’ back Brown sidelined with undisclosed illness
Jordan Stout is several months older, but the Penn State punter and kicker considers Journey Brown one of his mentors.
So, when Stout and the Nittany Lions learned that Brown, expected to be one of the top running backs in the country, might miss the season with an undisclosed medical condition, they ached for him.
“We all love Journey,” Stout said Tuesday. “He’s like a brother to all of us. He’s one of the strongest guys I know. He’s been through a lot of stuff, but he always has that positive attitude. He’s out there every day helping us.
“I hate that he’s not going to be out there with us this year, but he will be with us even though he’s not going to be on the field.”
Penn State confirmed a 247 Sports report late Monday night that Brown, a junior and the Lions’ top rusher last year, would not play in their opener Saturday at Indiana (3:30 p.m., TV-FS1) or perhaps for the rest of the season
“Journey Brown is being treated for a medical condition discovered during the offseason and will potentially miss the 2020 football season,” a Penn State statement read.
Lions coach James Franklin declined to be more specific about Brown’s health during his weekly press conference Tuesday. But he expressed confidence that Brown, who saw six relatives and one of his best friends die between June 2017 and November 2019, would draw on his previous experiences and his upbeat personality to find strength.
“I’m a big believer that Journey’s experiences throughout his entire life equip him with all the necessary tools to battle this situation as well,” Franklin said. “He has had a lot of adversity in his life in a very short period of time.
“When we first started dealing with all of this, that was my conversation with him. I know he’s going to handle this thing like he handles everything else. He does it in a first-class way and tries to stay positive and focus on the blessings. We’re going to do the same thing with him.”
Brown played sparingly behind Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders and began last season as a reserve. He won the starting job and finished with 129 carries for 890 yards (6.9 average) and 12 touchdowns. In the Cotton Bowl he ran for 202 yards, a Penn State bowl record, and two TDs against Memphis.
In the final five games, he carried 78 times for 593 yards, a 7.6 average, and nine touchdowns.
Without Brown, sophomore Noah Cain was listed as the starting running back on Penn State’s first depth chart. Cain rushed
84 times for 443 yards and five touchdowns last year including
92 yards and two touchdowns in the Cotton Bowl.
Devyn Ford, another sophomore, will be the primary backup, and true freshmen Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee, a pair who Franklin said “we’re really excited about,” also will be in the mix.
“I feel like we have a really good group there,” Franklin said. “Keyvone and Caziah haven’t done it in a collegiate setting yet. But we do feel like Noah has the ability to carry the load. We feel like Devyn has the chance to do that as well.”
Franklin said Brown would attend games. He’s widely respected inside the Penn State locker room and serves as a role model, especially to the other running backs.
Franklin said he’s not sure of the prognosis, but he does know that Brown will fight hard.
“We don’t know what the future holds yet,” Franklin said. “I do know he’s got 120 brothers that love and support him. He’s a guy who’s universally respected by his teammates, the coaches and the staff. He’s just a guy you know is going to be successful.”