Journey Brown's Next Journey
Penn State's Juice Scruggs woke up in a hospital bed last year, groggy and scared after a car accident, to find two teammates waiting for him. One was running back Journey Brown, who was determined to make Scruggs laugh.
"If you know Journey, you know funny he is," Scruggs said recently. "He has his own character. He came in that room, lit it up for me and made me smile."
Now, the Lions are taking their turn. Brown's career, launched by his record-setting performance at the 2019 Cotton Bowl, is on pause while he is being treated for an undisclosed medical condition. Penn State coach James Franklin did not discuss the issue specifically but left open the possibility that Brown could return to the field, saying that "this is still to be determined."
Though Brown will not play in Penn State's opener Saturday at Indiana, he is scheduled to travel with the team, act as a de-facto assistant coach in the running backs room and continue his role as Penn State's essence of positivity.
"If I had the mentality that Journey has," tight end Pat Freiermuth said, "I would be 10 times the man I am."
Brown's on-field accomplishments were significant last year, particularly in the season's second half. He averaged 118.6 yards per game over the last five, including his 202-yard performance against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl that set a Penn State bowl record.
But Brown's contributions extend beyond the breakaway speed and power surge he showcased against Memphis. Brown is the player who lifts everyone's spirits and tells the goofy stories, even as he surmounts a lifetime of adversity.
"He's been through a lot of stuff, but he always has a positive attitude," kicker Jordan Stout said. "He's out there every day helping us. He's a mentor to me, and we're the same age. That says a lot."
Brown has spoken often about the deaths of family and friends he has gone through over the years. Last year he rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns against Rutgers less than a week after his cousin, Paige Fabela, died in their hometown of Meadville, Pa.
The most significant loss was that of his grandmother, Helen Leona McCracken, who died in October 2018. Brown wears a headband that says "Nana" during games and still listens to her voicemails, in which she told him to "imagine me chasing with a stick behind you" when he's running.
"I've been telling myself, with everything I've been going through in my life, that life is about perspective," Brown said in early October. "If you look at everything positively, you'll be all right."
Teammates say that hasn't changed, though Brown's circumstances have. Last week, Penn State released a video showing freshman running back Caziah Holmes leaping over a defender during a drill. Among the players chasing Holmes in celebration was Brown.
Fellow running back Noah Cain arrived in State College last year as a shy freshman unfamiliar with the ways of central Pennsylvania, having grown up in Louisiana and Texas. Brown engaged with Cain through his "goofy" humor, to the point that Cain thought he was weird. And Cain told him so.
Now, Cain looks at Brown as his "big brother."
"I didn't talk much; I stayed to myself and minded my own business," Cain said. "But he's helped me come along, becoming a better teammate and just being the best leader I can be."
Brown held such promise for the season. He trained in California and gained weight to be more durable without sacrificing his speed. Brown felt quicker, more elusive and even stronger.
Now, he waits for his next chance to play football again. That's not unusual. Brown waited for two seasons to contribute while taking the self-prescribed steps required to go from track star at Meadville High to Division I running back.
It wasn't easy. This part won't be, either. But Franklin said Brown will handle it as he does everything: with a "survivor's mentality."
"I think about all the things that Saquon Barkley did, and I remember that his hometown had a parade for him," Franklin said. "They should do that in Meadville, because Journey Brown is just a tremendous example of a young man that took an opportunity and ran with it. And I think he's going to continue doing that. I'm excited to watch his story play out. And I'm hoping to be a part of that story for the long haul."
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