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Ex-Nittany Lion threatens to expose ‘dark side’ of Penn State football, college athletics

A former Nittany Lion suggests he will reveal information on a recently settled lawsuit that will shed light on the “dark side” of Penn State football and college athletics. But is there veracity to these claims?

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1 month ago

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Penn State football, Robert Windsor, James Franklin
Oct 12, 2019; Iowa City, IA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Robert Windsor (54) reacts with safety Garrett Taylor (17) and defensive tackle Antonio Shelton (55) after a sack against the Iowa Hawkeyesduring the third quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

A former Penn State football player claims that he intends to release information that will shed light on the “dark side of college football.” The player, former Nittany Lions defensive tackle Robert Windsor, asserts that he has additional details regarding the recently adjudicated lawsuit from a former team doctor who alleges that he clashed with James Franklin on multiple occasions regarding medical decisions.

On Tuesday, Windsor provided an update on social media.

“The Penn State lawsuit, I haven’t talked about that lately. Last time I did, I said I’d post something in the end of July about it,” he said on Instagram. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think it’s better to wait until there’s more attention on Penn State football. It’s a really big deal. Some really bad things happened to a lot of athletes, including myself, and you know, the Big Ten and the NCAA were supposed to take action.

“We proved in a court of law that these things happened, and really, my goal is to spread awareness among fans. It’s really the dark side of college football and I cannot tell you how many teammates I have had reach out to me and tell me how happy they are for what I did. So, once college football kicks off, get ready for me to launch my story on Penn State, what happened, the lawsuit.”

“Friction” between James Franklin, ex-Penn State football doctor, battled out in court of law

In May, a Dauphin County court ruled in favor of Dr. Scott Lynch in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against Penn State Health. Lynch was awarded $5.25 million in damages after Penn State Health removed him from his role as the Penn State football team doctor in 2019 because he lacked a State College residence.

Lynch claims the termination was due to multiple clashes with Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin. Penn State athletics and Franklin were not part of the lawsuit due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

A 2019 internal investigation by the Penn State Office of Ethics and Compliance detailed seven incidents between 2016 and 2019 where Lynch claimed his medical authority had been challenged. Six involved Penn State football players, describing “friction” with Franklin, while one involved a men’s soccer player.

Although it did recommend further inquiry, the review could not determine if Franklin or anyone at Penn State had violated NCAA bylaws or Big Ten standards by interfering with medical decisions.

Changing course?

Penn State football, Robert Windsor, James Franklin

© Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen, Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

At the moment, it’s still unclear if Robert Windsor is directing his ire solely at Penn State officials, or if he feels James Franklin holds any responsibility as well. While some of his previous comments on the topic hint at blame for the Nittany Lions coach, for now, it’s mere speculation.

Regardless, the former defensive lineman’s views toward Penn State have seemingly changed considerably recently. In 2019, Windsor earned the Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award, given out annually by the program for players with the greatest career contributions to Penn State football.

Since his professional career ended, Robert Windsor has become more involved in Happy Valley. Appearing on Adam Breneman‘s State Media last season, he even seemed quite supportive of the current regime inside the Lasch Building.

“Coach Franklin is the guy; there’s no question about it,” Windsor said last November. “All these fans out here who are questioning Coach Franklin because he can’t beat Ohio State, I mean not that he can’t, he did it in 2016. But we’re talking about the No. 1 team in college football right now; that’s consistently great. Michigan, consistently great. And we’re in one of the toughest divisions in all of college football.

“But as far as running a program from top to bottom, bringing in top, you know, controlling the things you can control, right? There’s a lot of things you can’t control. But as far as controlling the things you can control, I don’t see anyone better for the job.”

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Matt is a co-owner and Editor in Chief of Basic Blues Nation. Launched in 2022, Basic Blues Nation is one of the fastest-growing websites covering all Penn State athletics, with over 3.5 million readers in 2023. Matt is also a credentialed member of the Penn State football beat, and is a member of the Football Writers Association of America.

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