J-Speaks: The Icon of College Football Passes Away

On Dec. 21, 1926, a young man came into this world and little did anyone know what he would accomplish. This man put a university in State College, PA on the map for their play on the grid iron on Saturdays, but they were also known for taking care of their business in the classroom Monday through Friday. He went on to win more games than anyone else and inspired all those that were around him and knew him. His legacy was eradicated by a scandal to end all scandals and it not only cost him his job, but eventually his life.

On Sunday morning of Jan. 22, legendary Penn State football coach and Brooklyn, NY native Joe Paterno passed away from lung cancer. He was 85.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years Susan, his five children Diana, Joseph, Jr. “Jay,” Mary Kay, David and Scott and 17 grandchildren. All five of his kids are Penn State graduates.

In a statement by the Paterno family, “He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life has been…”

Back on Wednesday, Jan. 25 about 1,000 people filled the streets to watch the funeral procession of Joe Paterno pass Beaver Stadium.

The day was capped by a private funeral service where the grandchildren shared stories of how Paterno, who we came to know as “Joe Pa,” would give them candy even when their grandmother said no.

One story that was shared that really showed what Paterno and his family were all about is when son Scott said that the kitchen table was always round to make froom for one more person.

The next day, thousands of Penn State fans gathered at the Bryce Jordan Center for public had a chance to pay their last respects to Paterno.

Paterno built one of the rare football programs in which players worked hard and succeeded on the football field as well as in the classroom. It was called, “Success with Honor.”

Under that mantra, Paterno won a Division I record 409 victories compiling a record of 409-136-3. He led the Nittany Lions to 37 Bowl appearances winning a Division I record 24 of them, which includes two National title victories in 1982 and 1986. More than

While Paterno was able to win a consistent number of games thanks in part to the greatness of his players each and every Saturday, many of whom went on to the National Football League, he also was successful in what he called “A Grand Experiment.” This was his way of saying that he wanted to be able to build a winning football teams that consisted of players that when their college careers were over graduated with their degrees.

The “Grand Experiment” worked as under Paterno his teams ranked among the best in the Big Ten Conference for graduates.

In 2008, Penn State had a 78 percent rate of success for graduating its students, which not only succeeded the 67 percent average among all other Division I institutions, but it was second in the Big Ten to Northwestern University.

Paterno believed in the education of Penn State students so much, particularly for the players that he coached in his 62 total years there, he and his wife Sue have contributed over $ million dollars to a number of departments and colleges on campus.

Back in 1997, after helping to raise $13.5 million in funds for the expansion of Pattee Library on campus, the University named the expansion Paterno Hall in honor of Joe and Sue.

It seemed like everything Joe Paterno did at Penn State on and off the football field put Penn State in a positive light.

So much so that he was immortalized with a larger than life statue outside of Beaver Stadium. On one of the walls it reads, “Joseph Vincent Paterno Educator, Coach, Humanitarian.” Also inscribed on the wall, “They asked me what I liked written about me when I’m gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place not just that I was a good football coach.”

While he will be remembered for that, he will also be remembered for that ended his coach career not on his own terms and bring unwanted publicity to Nittany Lion Country.

In late Nov. 5, 2011 when former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested on 40 of child sex abuse. The most notable of those counts was one that stems back to 2002 when then graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary told Paterno that he saw Sandusky abusing a 10-year-old boy in a Penn State shower.

While Paterno did notify Athletic Director Tim Curley about the incident and then director of business and finance Gary Schultz, who oversaw the University Police, no one went to the authorities themselves.

Three days later, hundreds of students gathered in front of home of the Paterno family in support of the coach.

The following day, Paterno announced that he would retire at the end of the season. That was not satisfying to the hierarchy of the University Board of Trustees who voted that night to relieve Paterno of his coaching duties effective immediately.

The abrupt firing of Paterno, as well as the resignation of school president Graham Spanier triggered an outcry on campus where angry students protested, congregating outside the university’s administrative building chanting “Joe Pa’s” name and overturning a television news van.

With his legacy tarnished and his good name damaged, Paterno in the midst of it all appealed to the students to calm down and hit the books.

Two months after his disgraceful exit, Paterno took on another battle, lung cancer. At the same time he finally broke his silence about the scandal that ended his career to the Washington Post.

“I called my superiors and I said, ‘Hey we got a problem I think. Can you guys look into it? Cause I didn’t know you know…,” said Paterno.

Paterno also said, “I don’t think I deviated from what I’m all about and what I thought was important.”

As far as what he thought of his legacy or what was left of it in the eyes of Penn State faithful, current and former, Paterno said, “ I had a wonderful experience here at Penn State. I don’t want to walk away from this thing bitter.”

The question now is after all that Paterno did and what transpired in late 2011 that tarnished his good name, how should we remember Paterno.

Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated said, “Joe Paterno made a huge mistake that a lot of people will never ever forgive him for, but he did a lot of things that a lot of people will remember him very fondly for and a lot of people feel like they should remember him for.”

“Honestly he should have done more in that situation, but I don’t think this should be the way he is remembered,” says Michael Boyer, who is one of 23,000 people living in New York City that graduated from Penn State.

“I honestly think we lost one of the greatest role models for children and students, especially because not only did he coach football and that’s a very important job, but he also made sure all his students graduated.”

The Joseph Vincent Paterno story began in Brooklyn, NY. It then went on to Brown University where he played quarterback and cornerback. After graduating in 1950 he followed his college coach Rip Engle to Penn State where he would spend 16 years as his assistant. He was named the successor to Engle in February 1966 and put the institution on the map both on the football field and in academics. He fell from grace after one of his trusted lieutenants brought the scandals to end all scandals to the door steps of Penn State and it ended a legendary career in the blink of an eye. Fast forward two months later, lung cancer ended his life.

While his career ended abruptly, it was a remarkable career. One in which he coached more than just kids that did more than win games on the field, but excelled in the classroom. He gave back to his institution in both dollars and time. Above all he was loving husband, father and grandfather that all of North America came to know.

Information and quotations are courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org; 1/22/12 6 p.m. edition of PIX 11 (WPIX) News at 6 with Kaity Tong, report from Magee Hickey; 1/22/12 6:30 p.m. edition of “NBC Nightly News” with Lester Holt, reports from Michelle Franzen and Ron Allen; 1/22/12 6:30 p.m. edition of “ABC World News” with David Muir; 1/26/12 6 a.m. edition of Headline News “Morning Express” with Robin Meade, report from Carlos Diaz.