A Penn State alumnus' letter to a football player is going viral and being criticized for being racist. The letter written to safety Jonathan Sutherland tells him that his long dreadlocks are disgusting. Penn State coach James Franklin supported Sutherland, saying the safety is one of the most respected players in their program. The letter was posted online by a teammate, Antonio Shelton, who says in the post, "explain to me how this isn't racist." It was signed by Dave Petersen. Other teammates went online to support the sophomore from Ottawa who graduated from a Virginia high school.
Franklin addressed the letter indirectly. He said, ''The football
that I know and love brings people together and embraces
differences.'' The coach complimented Sutherland for being ''the
ultimate example of what our program's about.''