April 11, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Head coach James Franklin announced the members of his 2018 Leadership Council, which consists of 24 members of the Penn State football team, today. The Council, which is comprised of 13 seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and three redshirt freshmen, serves as voice for the team in the decision-making process.
"We are excited about our Leadership Council this year," Franklin said. "This group becomes more valuable every year because of the relationships we develop and the ability to discuss topics and challenges facing our team, university and community with solution-oriented conversations. It is critical to continue to develop leadership skills within our team, not only for this year, but to prepare these young men for life after Penn State."
This year's Leadership Council members are: seniors Mark Allen, Torrence Brown, Jake Cooper, Koa Farmer, Trace McSorley, Amani Oruwariye, Nick Scott, Charlie Shuman, Johnathan Thomas, DeAndre Thompkins, Kyle Vasey, Jason Vranic and Chasz Wright; juniors Ryan Bates, Blake Gillikin, Juwan Johnson, John Reid and Tommy Stevens; sophomores Tariq Castro-Fields, Will Fries and Michal Menet; and freshmen Sean Clifford, Jonathan Sutherland and C.J. Thorpe.
This group is not only charged with leading the team, but the expectation is to also uphold the program's four core values: positive attitude, great work ethic, competitive in everything and must be willing to sacrifice. The Leadership Council meets at least twice a month in Franklin's office and has a profound impact on the chemistry and culture of the entire organization.
Penn State returns 13 starters (8 offensive, 3 defensive, 2 specialists) and 26 additional lettermen. The Nittany Lions open the season at Beaver Stadium against Appalachian State September 1.
More than 5,100 new season tickets have already been sold for the 2018 campaign. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2018 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.