Franklin’s NFL Draft Road Trip: Navigating Two Players’ Celebrations and Penn State’s Record-Breaking Haul

When two former players were expected to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, James Franklin faced a dilemma. As head football coach at Penn State University, he didn’t want to miss either player’s draft celebration. So on Thursday night, Franklin embarked on an ambitious mission – driving 57 miles from Gaithersburg, Maryland, where former tackle Olu Fashanu was set to be picked by the New York Jets, all the way to Waldorf, Maryland, some 70 minutes away, for edge rusher Chop Robinson’s draft party. Franklin made it just in time as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Robinson’s selection by the Miami Dolphins. In total, eight more Penn State players could potentially be picked during this year’s NFL Draft, which would make 2024 a record-breaking season for Franklin and his team since their last successful draft in 1996. However, with such long distances between these locations, it’s unlikely that the coach will have time to attend all of them personally – unless he can get hold of an exclusive private jet!