Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft Issues Apology

Kraft: 'I'm embarrassed ... ready to move forward'

Speaking to the media at the top of the week, Kraft took the opportunity to publicly apologize for his remarks for the first time since they went viral.

“I’ll talk to any of my athletes whenever they ask me to talk,” Kraft began Monday. “I’m very passionate and I’m transparent with my kids and my student-athletes. What I will tell you is that I’m embarrassed. I apologize to anyone that I may have offended with that video that leaked. Personally, it’s been challenging for me, but I am very passionate about Penn State."

“It was nine or ten football players that asked, wanted to sit down, and we had an open and honest discussion," the AD continued. "But I fell short of the standard that I should represent for all my staff that sits up there, all 833 athletes that I represent. I can’t apologize enough for those who I may have offended. And I’ve got to get better."

"But every one of my athletes know they can call me at any point in time and I have open and honest discussions whenever they want," he reiterated. "So we’re moving on. We handled it in the family. And I’m proud of our guys. I’m proud of them and excited for them to move forward.”

Fallout from James Franklin firing, Kraft comments

According to longtime NFL Draft insider and college football analyst Todd McShay, Penn State's handling of the James Franklin situation didn't land well with one of the sports' top coaching agents Jimmy Sexton — and it led him to steer his clients clear of the Nittany Lions' job.

“H’s messing around with Penn State right now because Penn State let go one of his guys, James Franklin, in a manner that he didn’t appreciate,” McShay said of Sexton on "The Bill Simmons Podcast." “And so now they’re kinda sitting back and every time they go try to hire a coach or get serious with the coach, that coach who’s represented by Sexton winds up with an extension or winds up going to maybe UCLA. So, [it ’s] fascinating to see.”

Elsewhere in Kraft's leaked audio, the athletic director also claimed that PSU wasn't far behind Ohio State in terms of talent and that several aspects of the roster weren't performing up to expectations.