James Franklin is a 'huge fan' of Juice Scruggs

Ahead of the Nittany Lions’ Week 12 matchup versus Rutgers on Saturday, Penn State head coach James Franklin poured praise on one of his captains and offensive leaders, center Juice Scruggs.

“I’m a huge Juice Scruggs fan and I’m a huge Karen Scruggs fan, that’s his mom, they are awesome,” Franklin said. “She’s been phenomenal, he’s been phenomenal. Right now, we’re not in an ideal situation. Here’s a guy who’s played a ton of football for Penn State and we got him in at the end of the game because there’s no one else to put in right now.

“You talk about a guy that literally practices every day, bumps and bruises, plays in every game, bumps and bruises. Not only is playing at a high level but is durable, is consistent,” Franklin added, while knocking on wood. “He’s the quarterback of the OL, quarterback of the protections and run game, getting us all on the same page. He makes us go. Got a huge smile on the face all the time.”

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Scruggs overcomes injury to star for Penn State

After making his first career start last season as a redshirt junior, Scruggs has transformed into one of the Nittany Lions’ most reliable players. Through nine games, he had allowed one sack on QB Sean Clifford and drawn just two flags.

In 2020, Scruggs overcame a serious back injury after suffering a car accident in 2019. He ended up winning the Tim Shaw Thrive Award for inspiring others on his journey back to the field.

Franklin went so far as to say that he wishes Karen Scruggs would have several more children so he could get more players like Juice.

“I would let him babysit my kids, I’d hire him to work at Penn State, I’d work for him, depending on how things go,” Franklin said. “He’s an awesome kid… been a great Penn Stater. He’ll go on to do great things in football and not in football. I wish Karen would have five more, I don’t think she will.