Franklin stands up for player
Viral letter about ‘disgusting’ dreadlocks prompts defense by PSU coach, teammates
Penn State head football coach James Franklin on Tuesday spoke about a letter that called safety Jonathan Sutherland’s dreadlocks “disgusting,” saying he would be “so blessed if my daughters would marry someone with [Sutherland’s] character and integrity one day.”
Penn State on Monday condemned a letter written by a Penn State graduate that went viral after several players posted it online. The note, typed on stationery that read “WE ARE PENN STATE PROUD !!!!!!! ” and signed “Dave Petersen,” prompted responses from across the country and elicited an emotional statement from Franklin.
“Though the athletes of today are certainly superior to those in my days; we miss the clean cut young men and women from those days,” the letter says. “Watching the Idaho game on TV we couldn’t help but notice your — well — awful hair. Surely there must be mirrors in the locker room! Don’t you have parents or girlfriend who’ve told you those shoulder length dreadlocks look disgusting and are certainly not attractive.”
In a post on Twitter, Sutherland, a team captain, said he forgave the writer because “I’m nowhere close to being perfect and I expect God to forgive me for all the wrong I’ve done in my
life.
“Although the message was indeed rude, ignorant and judging, I’ve taken no personal offense to it because personally, I must respect you as a person before I respect your opinion,” Sutherland wrote.
David Petersen, a 1966 Penn State graduate from Johnstown, confirmed to the Tribune-Democrat that he wrote and signed the letter. He told the paper that his letter “wasn’t threatening or anything” and that he was “just disgruntled about some of the hairdos that we’re seeing.”
Franklin and several Penn State players responded Tuesday, with Franklin devoting the opening of his weekly news conference to a statement he began forming late Monday night.
“The football that I know and love brings people together and embraces differences,” Franklin said. “Black, white, brown, Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. Rich or poor, rural or urban, Republican or Democrat. Long hair, short hair, no hair. They’re all in that locker room together.
“Teams all over this country are the purest form of humanity that we have. We don’t judge. We embrace differences. We live, we learn, we grow, we support and we defend each other. We’re a family.
“Penn State football, Penn State University and Happy Valley provide the same opportunities to embrace one another 12 Saturdays each fall. PSU football brings people together like very few things on this planet: 110,000 fans from all different backgrounds throughout our region, from all different parts of the state, and they’re hugging and high-fiving and singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ together.
“This is my football. This is the game I love. And most importantly my players, I love and will defend like sons. Ultimately this is the definition and embodiment of what ‘We Are’ is all about.”
Petersen’s letter to Sutherland concluded with, “We congratulate you on your game against Pitt but you need to remember you represent all Penn Staters both current and those alumni from years past. We would welcome the reappearance of dress codes for athletes.
“You will certainly be playing ‘on Sunday’ in the future but we have stopped watching the NFL due to the disgusting, tattoos, awful hair and immature antics in the end zone. Players should act as though they’ve ‘been there before.’”
It is signed “FOR THE GLORY,” the first three words of the Penn State alma mater.
Penn State defensive end Shaka Toney said Tuesday that the team “can’t put energy into negative things.”
“People are going to look different, people are going to sound different, people are going to dress different,” Toney said. “It shouldn’t be a concern.”
Regarding Sutherland, Franklin said that he is “one of the most respected players in our program.” A redshirt junior, Sutherland is majoring in labor and employment relations and made the dean’s list in 2018. An Ottawa, Ontario, native, Sutherland was voted a captain this season.
“He’s confident, he’s articulate, he’s intelligent, he’s thoughtful, he’s caring and he’s committed,” Franklin said. “He’s got two of the most supportive parents, and I would be so blessed if my daughters would marry someone with his character and integrity one day.”