Bill O’Brien has not been one to join the drama surrounding the football program in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. However if you suggest he isn’t keeping the best interests of his players in mind, he’ll happily put you in your place.
Addressing the media Wednesday afternoon with great emotion O’Brien responded to a pending Sports Illustrated article set to hit shelves this week. The article lays out an alleged drama between current Athletic Director Dave Joyner and former team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli. Current head trainer Tim Bream is also called into question regarding several medical practices that sources told Sports Illustrated they felt fell beyond the roles and certifications of Bream’s duties.
In a loud, emotional, and emphatic conference call which lasted almost 25 minutes, O’Brien addressed the allegations within the still unreleased article while making one point abundantly clear.
“Their health and safety is the No. 1 priority to me,” O’Brien said of his players. “It’s not near the top, it’s not around the top, it’s at the top. For anyone to accuse me that I would do otherwise is irresponsible, reckless and wrong. And you may believe I’m only addressing the media for that comment. You’re wrong. I mean for Penn State, anyone in the media, anyone. I’m including anyone here. For anyone to say such a thing is preposterous.” (1:25)
“We are battling an uphill battle,” he said. “We are at 65 scholarships, 67 scholarships. Do you think for one second I would justify the health and safety of this football team? That’s preposterous.” (7:25)
O’Brien addressed several issues including Joyner’s alleged role in reassigning Sebastianelli almost two months ago. The Sports Illustrated article suggests the move was some sort of a personal vendetta.
“What that article was to me was a character assassination on Dave Joyner,” O’Brien said. “That’s what it was, and it wasn’t anything other than that. The care for our players is superb.” (15:00)
O’Brien also responded to trustee Anthony Lubrano, who said Wednesday he feared the changes would make Penn State’s program more like a professional team, saying that “the fear is that in becoming more like the NFL, there might be more of a rush to get the student back on the field.”
“I don’t know where anyone can just make a quote about something they know nothing about, and then the quote is not true,” O’Brien said. “We have a model that is used by many Division I schools across the country.” (19:00)
Penn State also released an updated statement prior to O’Brien’s press conference which appears below:
“The article fundamentally distorts the facts. There has been no change in the model of medical care for our student athletes. The allegations on why the change in team physician was made is ludicrous. Worst of all, the article ignores the fact that Dr. Sebastianelli remains the doctor in charge of the University’s entire medical program for intercollegiate athletics, including football. In addition, the university athletic trainer reported directly to Dr. Sebastianelli, who supervised the trainer’s work. A review shows Penn State’s medical coverage is on par with, or exceeds, peer institutions.”
