Penn State football staff accused of neglecting player’s mental health

In a lengthy Twitter thread, a Penn State player suggested James Franklin and his staff overlooked his mental health.

Mental health has become a topic of increased social focus in recent years, which has allowed some people to feel more comfortable sharing their experiences on the topic.

To that point, one current Penn State football player went public Saturday with a story of personal struggle that he claims was met with indifference by Nittany Lions coaches. Redshirt freshman defensive end Bryce Mostella took to Twitter to tell his side of a story that does not paint a flattering picture for head coach James Franklin and his staff.

In a lengthy and detailed thread, Mostella suggests Penn State’s staff was more focused on Mostella gaining weight to perform at a high level than his mental well-being.

“Since I have arrived at [Penn State] the entire staff had been fixated on my weight. I came in light for my position and understandably they wanted me to increase my weight,” Mostella explained. “So that became my goal, gaining had always been difficult for me but I was going to try my hardest so I could compete at the highest level possible.”

Mostella went on to explain that he struggled with the physical process of putting on weight, and his mental health deteriorated as a result. Mostella said he didn’t bring up his mental health situation voluntarily to Franklin and the staff unless specifically asked about it.

“These struggles had a negative impact on my mental health. Contributing to my diagnosed anxiety and depression,” Mostella wrote. “I made James Franklin and [defensive line coach] John Scott aware of this, however after that I only mentioned it when they asked. Reason being to avoid sounding like I was making excuses.”

It is at this point Mostella makes an alarming claim, suggesting Franklin wondered if Mostella even cared about football.

“In the coming months, CJF made it clear to me he wasn’t satisfied with my progress,” Mostella wrote. “The narrative went from me being ‘a hard worker who’s going to figure it out’ to someone who ‘doesn’t care about football or the team.'”

Mostella then claimed Franklin suggested Mostella would be risking being removed from the roster and losing his scholarship if he didn’t reach his weight goal by December.

Mostella claims his mother attempted to contact Franklin and Scott on multiple occasions with no response from the Penn State staff.

Mostella claims he was given two options — that he could transfer or medical retire — with a possible return to the team not on the table, according to Mostella. This eventually culminated in Mostella not being able to enroll in classes, a discovery Mostella claims he did not realize until he returned to campus for the spring semester only to find there was a financial hold on his account and no classes were scheduled for him.

Mostella’s story is alarming. Of course, it is just one side of the story. Franklin and Penn State’s football department has yet to respond to these claims.

Mostella wrote that he is intent on staying at Penn State, and he made the disclaimer that he did not intend to criticize the university or any of its employees. He stated that he simply wanted to share his story as he sees it.

Here’s hoping Mostella’s mental health does improve, regardless of what that means for his status as a Penn State football player. But if Franklin and the staff bear responsibility for not responding to Mostella’s situation as explained, then it is fair to suggest Penn State should have to address this in a serious manner.

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