Penn State's James Franklin Addresses Chop Robinson's Injury

Franklin said he doesn't expect the injury Robinson sustained at Ohio State to be a "long-term issue."
Penn State's James Franklin Addresses Chop Robinson's Injury
Penn State's James Franklin Addresses Chop Robinson's Injury /

Penn State coach James Franklin said he doesn't expect Chop Robinson's injury to be a "long-term issue" but did not offer a definitive return date for the star defensive end.

Robinson left the Ohio State game in the second quarter following a collision with a Buckeyes player. Play halted for several minutes as Robinson lay on his stomach before sitting upright. He was helped off the field and went to the locker room on a cart just before Ohio State scored its first touchdown. Robinson did not play again in the Lions' 20-12 loss.

Franklin addressed Robinson's situation Tuesday at his weekly press conference. The Penn State coach usually discusses injuries only when they're season-ending.

"From what I understand and from what I see and from what I know, I don’t see this being a long-term issue," Franklin said. "But you never know when it comes to medical. But hopefully we’ll be getting Chop back here soon. As you guys know, I’m pretty open when it’s a season-ending injury. I don’t see that."

Robinson has been a critical part of Penn State's strong pass-rush unit that leads the FBS in sacks (29) and leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss (60). Robinson ranks second on Penn State's roster with three sacks and has five tackles for loss. He also ranks among the Big Ten's top-10 pass-rushers in terms of points saved, according to Sports Info Solutions. Robinson has three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble this season.

Penn State host Indiana on Saturday before visiting Maryland on Nov. 4. The key date for Robinson's return would be Nov. 11, when the Nittany Lions host Michigan.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.