Rocco Becht and tight end Benjamin Brahmer showed up to their Tuesday press conferences wearing shirts that said “Own The Outcome,” and the message behind them was bigger than the gear itself.
Brahmer said the shirts were a gift from Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft, who had placed them in every player’s locker with a note. The point, Brahmer explained, was about controlling what can be controlled and staying locked in on the work.
“Just owning the outcome and understanding that we got to control what we can control and continue working as hard as we can in practice and whatever happens to us on Saturdays,” Brahmer said on Tuesday.
That mindset has taken on real weight over the last several weeks. Penn State opened conference play with four straight losses, then followed a comeback win over Wisconsin on Sept. 26 with a lopsided defeat at Northwestern. At that point, the message became less slogan and more survival guide.
“Just own the outcome,” safety Jamison Patton said Wednesday. “Whatever it is, own it. Right, wrong, or whatever, move on from it, learn from it and grow from it.”
The Nittany Lions have done exactly that over the past two weeks, showing steady improvement against USC and Michigan. The run defense tightened up against the Trojans, and wide receiver Chase Sowell stepped forward as a major threat against the Wolverines.
Then came last week’s game against Purdue, when everything finally clicked and Penn State picked up its first Big Ten win of the season.
For Matt Campbell, the result reflected the work that had been happening away from the spotlight during a rough start to his era in Happy Valley. He pointed to a group that kept showing up, kept grinding, and never turned on itself.
“This group never wavered,” Campbell said Saturday. “They've never flinched.
They haven't b- or complained. They just go to work and tried like heck to correct the areas and grow themselves forward.”
Kraft’s role in that stretch has been steady, too. He has continued to take his spot on the sideline for every game and has tried to keep the team moving in the right direction through the losing streak, including with the shirts.
“We love the shirts,” cornerback Audavion Collins said. “We want to say a huge thank you to Pat Kraft.”
Campbell also highlighted Kraft’s presence in the program on Oct. 14, noting how available he has been throughout the season.
“I think there's been so much time, effort, and energy internally in ourselves alike,” Campbell said. “Pat has been certainly willing to be available, wanting to be available, and wanting to help every step of the way.”
Patton said Kraft has also made himself accessible to the players, not just the staff. With a revamped roster in Happy Valley, Kraft built relationships early, spoke to the team before the season, and kept that connection going.
“Dr. Kraft came in pretty early as the team was assembled and came and talked to us and just showed his respect for us, and we respect him, and really appreciate his support,” Patton said. “And the shirts were a cool asset to that, just to show his gratification for us and us towards him.”
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Penn State Players Just Got Pat Krafts Message Before Washington
Penn State players walked into a familiar kind of week with a new reminder from above. In the wake of James Franklins firing, athletic director Pat Kraft gave the team Own the outcome T-shirts, a simple message meant to keep the focus on what comes next as the Nittany Lions prepare for Washington.
Kraft has been unusually visible around the football program, showing up at games and making his support for players hard to miss. With the season moving on and the next test already waiting, the message was less about the past than the responsibility that still sits in front of the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Could Still Shape The CFP Race In A Frustrating Way
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That softer finish matters beyond State College, because an 8-4 Penn State team could still end up shaping the College Football Playoff conversation in a frustrating way. USC, ranked No. 20 in the first CFP rankings, has its own rsum-building stretch ahead with games against Indiana and UCLA, and a 9-3 Trojans finish would look a lot better if it includes a win over Penn State. [Read more 🡒]
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The uncertainty is the part that stings most for Penn State, because this is no longer a short-term absence with a clean timetable attached. Howard has been listed as questionable for upcoming games, but the available signs point to a recovery that is moving slowly, if it is moving at all. For a team that expected to have him available by now, the wait has turned into a real roster concern. [Read more 🡒]