Silas Redd: Penn State RB Should Not Be Criticized If He Leaves for USC

Penn State running back Silas Redd is seriously considering leaving Happy Valley for Hollywood, and he has every right to finish his collegiate career at USC or any other school he chooses.

According to ESPN’s Joe Schad, the junior met with USC head coach Lane Kiffin in order to discuss a possible transfer.

Redd was the Nittany Lions’ leading rusher this past season. He racked up 1,241 yards on 244 carries and scored seven touchdowns. Penn State would certainly miss him next season, and the Trojans would undoubtedly benefit from his presence.

If Redd transfers, he will likely be met with accusations of disloyal behavior, but there would be nothing wrong or dishonorable about leaving the school that first recruited him.

Following a report from investigator Louis Freeh that revealed a shocking lack of leadership at all levels of the Penn State administration, the NCAA handed down unprecedented penalties to the university. 

The football program had its scholarships slashed, forfeited all wins from 1998 onwards and will be banned from the postseason for the next four years, as noted by ESPN. The sanctions also include a $60 million fine.

The NCAA was completely justified in its decision to come down hard on Penn State. The governing body’s decision was based on evidence that showed a complete failure of leadership.

While this didn't lead to a competitive advantage for the program, it did create a culture that allowed unimaginably terrible crimes to take part and go unpunished for over a decade. If Joe Paterno and his football program did have unquestioned respect bordering on worship in Happy Valley, Jerry Sandusky would not have stayed a free man for so long.

The sanctions were justified, but this does not mean they were fair. Whenever the NCAA levies major sanctions on a program, the athletes are punished for someone else’s actions.

Redd had nothing to do with the events that led to the penalties, but he would certainly be affected if he decided to stay with Penn State. However, any player who chooses to leave will be able to compete immediately for another school, and the player’s new program will not have to sacrifice a scholarship, as noted in Schad’s report.

The NCAA had to send a message, but there was no way to punish the university and not the athletes. The reasonable solution was to hit the school hard and give the athletes a way out.

Penn State’s players were unfairly punished as a result of the sanctions, but they have every opportunity to find somewhere else to play. If these athletes choose another school, as Redd is considering, they should not face criticism or judgment for their decision.