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Q&A: Rivals250 Ath. Cristian Driver opens up about Penn State

When your father played 14 seasons in the NFL, is a Super Bowl champion, a four-time Pro Bowler and in the Green Bay Packers' Hall of Fame, it's inevitable that media coverage is going to play a big role in your family's life. When you add in the fact that you're a rising junior who's ranked among the top college prospects in the entire country, and you hold offers from the top schools in every Power Five conference, it's understandable that you wouldn't want to do interviews all that often. As many top prospects find out, once you do one or two, everyone wants to speak with you, and that can end up being a major burden.

For Cristian Driver, son of former NFL wide receiver Donald Driver, he's not one to open up about his recruitment much, and with good reason. His father is a fan favorite to many who grew up watching him. Living in that shadow can't be easy, but it's also something Cristian doesn't shy away from. As he told Blue White Illustrated today, he wants to follow in his father's footsteps, not just playing at the highest level, but playing the same position his dad dominated for years. But before he gets to that stage, he has to figure out which college he's going to attend first. Fortunately for Penn State fans, the Nittany Lions sit in a very strong position for a multitude of reasons.

After bugging him for what feels like a month, Driver agreed to chat with BWI's Ryan Snyder Thursday afternoon to talk about James Franklin, Taylor Stubblefield and his upcoming official visit, which takes place June 18-20.

Ryan Snyder: I know James Franklin has a close bond with your dad and your entire family. What’s that relationship been like, especially now with him recruiting you?

Cristian Driver: As a lot of people know, he coached my dad in Green Bay as the receivers coach for a little while, and he kind of became family to me at a young age. So, I've always thought of him as like an uncle. He's always been a great role model to me and I think just having him on the Penn State staff as a head coach, I think that shows me a lot about his success and also the people he brings in. They kind of follow the same role as him. But Coach Franklin, you know, he's a great guy and he believes in me, he always has, since I was younger. He always knew that I was gonna be something great. I think just based on what they do at Penn State, and just how they carry themselves and the culture that he's built since he left Vanderbilt, finally coming to Penn State, I just think what he's doing there and what he has been doing is really great. I definitely feel like that's a place I could see myself playing at.

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