The video of Penn State defensive lineman Anthony Zettel tackling a tree out of the ground went viral over the weekend, but one person who saw it wasn’t too pleased: Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin.
“It’s not something you feel great about as a coach, watching your All-American D-tackle throw his shoulder into a tree,” Franklin said during a Tuesday night stop on the Penn State Coaches Caravan.
Franklin said the video came from a recent trip to Zettel’s hometown in West Branch, Mich.
“He comes from a town in Michigan that only has one stoplight, so there’s obviously not a whole lot to do,” Franklin said, per Fight On State.
The tree appeared to be dead, so it wasn’t a huge task for the 6-foot-4, 278-pound Zettel to uproot it. Still, after Franklin saw the video circulating on social media, he made a phone call both to Zettel and his parents.
When Franklin saw the video on social media, “I quickly followed up with a few phone calls to Anthony and his parents.”
So what did Zettel say when he got the call?
“Coach, I didn't think it would get that big on Twitter.”
“Yes you did,” Franklin replied.
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour also chimed in, but just seemed to be relieved that Zettel didn’t injure himself.
"My reaction, not unlike anyone inside Penn State athletics, was, 'Oh my God, I hope he didn't hurt himself,'" Barbour said, per ESPN.com. "First and foremost, I want our kids to be safe and do no harm. So that's what comes to mind first for me."
Zettel was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, so it’s no surprise that Franklin and Barbour were concerned about his safety. He had 42 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three interceptions in 2014, and Franklin wants that to carry over into Zettel’s senior season, but with tree-tackling out of the equation.
“That’s what also makes Anthony Zettel a great football player,” Franklin said. “He’s a little strange.”
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
