Penn State football camp has been pretty quiet to this point in the summer aside from Joe Paterno's injury last Sunday. Things changed a little bit on Tuesday when the coach announced at Penn State's media day that senior running back Stephfon Green has been suspended. Paterno "doubts" Green will return, and said this, according to Dustin Hockensmith of PennLive.com.
"He's had some problems with me," Paterno said. "I doubt he'll be back. ... I think it's best for him and the team if he steps away for a while."
This news comes as a bit of a surprise, as Green has always come across as a very team-oriented player. In November, Green celebrated Paterno's 400th win on the field like the Nittany Lions had just won the national championship. He ran around carrying a "400" sign, and trying to pump up the crowd once Penn State's 35-21 win against Northwestern had gone final. As late as July's Lift For Life event, Green seemed excited for the upcoming season. Here's some video from that day.
Alas, Green is now gone, and the Lions must replace his speed in the backfield rotation. Sophomore Silas Redd, already presumed to be the frontrunner for the starting running back job, likely solidifies his role as the No. 1 back with Green's suspension. Senior Brandon Beachum and redshirt sophomore Curtis Dukes will likely now compete for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, and a boost in their respective workloads with Green out of the picture.