The entire Penn State and college football community is reacting to the news of the change in leadership of the Penn State football program. The school officially announced it has parted ways with James Franklin, who was in the middle of his 12th season with the program and was coming off a three-game losing streak. There have been many reactions to the news, including from within the Penn State football Lettermen community.
Among those sharing his reactions on social media as the news was sinking in was Aaron Maybin. Maybin played at Penn State years before Franklin ever came to Happy Valley, but he did reflect on the relationship he had with the now former Penn State coach in an effort to connect the current program with the players who came before.
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“Wanted to take this moment to thank coach Frankin for his years of building [Penn State football] back into a national powerhouse, and doing so by reaching out to us former players and including us in the process,” Maybin shared on social media. “It didn’t end the way we wanted but you have always been honorable.”
Maybin was a consensus All-American at Penn State during its 2008 Big Ten championship season, and a First-Team All-Big Ten selection that same season while playing for Joe Paterno. HE ended up being a. finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award before going on to be a first-round NFL draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2009. Maybin spent two seasons with the Bills and then signed with the New York Jets, and he led the team in sacks during the 2011 season. Maybin spent a brief amount of time with the Cincinnati Bengals and with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL before wrapping up his professional football career. He officially retired from the sport in 2014 and has since focused on his career as a professional artist.
Penn State has named assistant head coach Terry Smith, a former Penn State player and longtime assistant with the program under Franklin, as its interim head coach for the remainder of the regular season. A full coaching search is now officially underway for the Nittany Lions. Athletics director Pat Kraft has stated he believes Penn State has plenty to offer to some good quality coaching candidates.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Former Nittany Lion Aaron Maybin thanks James Franklin
