O'Korn Homecoming Article

Submitted by PeterKlima on

SIAP:  Good article on John O'Korn's homecoming this week.  Apparently his mother is a waitress in State College and the whole family is from the area. 

I had always thought he was from Florida (probably because he was a college transfer):

O’Korn grew up in Huntingdon, Pa., a sleepy borough located on the Juniata River just 33 miles south of State College. It’s the type of small town where people leave their front doors unlocked and everyone knows each other’s first name. They’ll have two rooting interests in this game: the Nittany Lions and the town’s favorite son.

“I’m really excited,” O’Korn said. “I know it’ll mean a lot to my family. I grew up going to a lot of games. I’m really looking forward to it.”

His mom, Paula, is a waitress at a State College restaurant and routinely has Penn State players and coaches’ wives as customers, sister Kalyn is a Penn State graduate, and the entire family is lifelong Penn State supporters. O’Korn’s dad, Gary, noted Kalyn will be wearing maize and blue Saturday.

He tried to graduate early so he could go to PSU:

Ultimately, O’Korn’s fate at Penn State was sealed by Christian Hackenberg’s commitment. The coaching staff wasn’t keen on taking two quarterbacks the same age in the same class. Fisher approached the idea of graduating early, but O’Korn couldn’t make it work.

John's best game was on the road against the coach who benched him at Houston. Maybe that made it personal?

 

Anyway, here is to hoping he plays his ass off for his hometown!!

mGrowOld

October 17th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^

Exactly what weekend are we suppose to be JOK detractors?  As long as that dude is wearing a Michigan helmet and JH is running him out onto the field I'm the biggest O'Korn supporter there is.

Anybody wishing him to fail to play poorly so they can see somebody else in at quarterback is freaking insane.  Or just not a Michigan fan at all.

ChuckieWoodson

October 17th, 2017 at 9:16 AM ^

Well, my hope here is that similar to the Purdue game where he really had something to play for (impressing/beating/proving his old coach wrong) he can channel whatever he needs to, to get into the zone since this "hits close to home."

youn2948

October 17th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^

However have you never had that game(or any sport competition), where you were in the zone, not only for the game, but the days and hours leading up to it.  Where you felt as though you could feel your nerve endings and your skin itched as if you just downed a ridiculous amount of beta-alanine?

Or when you hit that 5 mile mark on your 3 mile run then run 10 more because you're in the zone?

Or when you're down in basketball, feel your stroke and the rim feels 20 feet wide?

Coachspeek.  All games are important.  Even professionals have down days and teams they don't get up 100% for though.

I for one hope he Forcier's this one out of his ass and flat out makes shit happen.  That is what that sack avoidance miracle rolls felt like at Purdue. I hope Peters is ready because I think that O'Korn needs to run more to keep the defense honest and relax.  I'm worried that his best game includes more read runs and too many hits when the bullpen is bare.

Although I'd prefer a successful running game with play action winning field position game that doesn't cause me a series of heart attacks.

PeterKlima

October 17th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^

Bluinohio.  You are feeling Blu.  I get it.  You don't want to believe JOK could play well until you see it. (Even if he has shown some flashes in the past.)

 

Protect your own feelings.

 

Me, I would rather show support for the kid in his homecoming.  That is more important than protecting "my feelings." 

 

Of course, I am a somewhat well-adjusted adult.

In reply to by PeterKlima

BroadneckBlue21

October 17th, 2017 at 9:17 PM ^

To play advocate, being super hopeful is all good for the feels, but isn't that just "protecting oneself" from if there's disaster?

I don't find it absurd to call out any player's track record when people get super hopeful out loud. I'm eternally hoping my teams will win even as the clocks tick down like MSU game. I prefer to keep my optimism without the desperation of puff pieces.

Let's. It rest, he seems to be saying, on hope. Let's rly on good coaching and having the QBs ready.

Icehole Woody

October 17th, 2017 at 9:22 AM ^

We all saw what O'Korn is capable of against Purdue.   He needs to calm down and make his reads. The OL needs to keep him clean.  If that happens Michigan will beat the Nitts by double digits and make his family proud.

Go Blue!

 

 

philidor's legacy

October 17th, 2017 at 9:26 AM ^

Hard to imagine what it would be like to have millions of people watching everything you do - every second - commenting on every move, every play, good or bad  - chastising every mistake. I choose to support these kids, good or bad, win or lose, because they are our guys. 

Michrider41

October 17th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^

will inspire him to play the game of his life.  If it works, bring the family to every game the rest of the season.