When Maryland was recruiting quarterback C.J. Brown, then-head coach Ralph Friedgen took James Franklin, his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, along for the trip to the 3-star prospect’s home.
Both Brown and Franklin recalled this week how they played ping-pong in the basement of Brown’s house in Cranberry Township, Pa., but their recollection of how their competion turned out was a little different.
“Before he left, I challenged to a game of ping-pong. He was talking all that trash saying he was pretty good,” Brown said Tuesday. “I don’t know if it was his way of getting me to commit, but I ended up beating him, so I’ll always have that over his head.”
Told Wednesday of Brown’s memory of their match, Franklin laughed.
“No, I whupped him every game,” Franklin said. Every game.”
Brown and Franklin get a chance to settle the score Saturday, in some respects, when the quarterback leads his Terps to Penn State to face Franklin’s Nittany Lions.