Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has had a tumultuous final collegiate season, and one he couldn't have ever envisioned in the worst way imaginable.
Suffering a season-ending injury after a demoralizing loss to the Northwestern Wildcats was only the tip of the iceberg, Allar told reporters this week.
"I just stuck to my circle between my teammates here at Penn State and my family back home," Allar said. "Coach (Franklin) was at the hospital with me Saturday night, like when I was getting more imaging done to kind of figure out everything. And then, obviously, I was in that team meeting Sunday morning when everything was kind of broke to us. But then, honestly, I had to get back home to Medina and flew out Tuesday out of Cleveland to get surgery."
It was only the beginning of a whirlwind of emotions, as Franklin was dismissed shortly following the loss later that weekend.
"But yeah, it was a crazy 72 hours in all honesty between that Saturday to really Monday," Allar said. "I mean, it’s just dealing with it and taking it a day at a time.”
Now with Franklin having accepted the Virginia Tech job, Allar wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
“Yeah, as you guys know, I have a great relationship with Coach Franklin, Allar said. “I probably talk to him every other day, really since we’ve both been done. I could now phrase it like that, but yeah, I’m very excited for him. He’s gonna do a great job at Virginia Tech. I think it’s a great spot for him, and I’m very excited to see how he does. Very happy for him and his family."
Although Allar can no longer suit up in State College, his team can still clinch bowl eligibility should Penn State win its final two games.
The journey continues Saturday night against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.