A Living Legend...

Joseph Paterno was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1926. He graduated from Brown University where he played quarterback and cornerback. In 1950, right out of college, Joe accepted a job as an assistant football college at the Pennsylvania State University underneath his college football coach Rip Engle. After his time as an assistant ran its course, Joe stayed put and accepted a position as the head coach of “Penn State” in 1966. From that day forward, history would be made. From 1966 up until Saturday, Joe has a career record of 409-136-3 and a Bowl Game record of 24-12-1, both of which are FBS (Formerly known as Division I-A) records for wins. In that span, he has 5 undefeated, untied season and two National championships (1982,1986). He is the only coach in the history of the FBS to win all four of the current Major Bowl  games (Orange, Sugar, Rose, and Fiesta) and in 1986 was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. Joe Paterno was the head coach of the New England Patriots for three weeks before backing out and preferring to stay at Penn State in 1972. His other potential employers over the years were the Pittsburgh Steelers in ’69 (Instead Chuck Noll was hired), the Michigan Wolverines in ’69 (Bo Schembechler was hired), or anytime in the 1970’s or 1980’s when the Giants were struggling, but instead he decided to stay and become the rock on which Penn State is built. In 2007, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

JoePa, as is he lovingly called, infused a philosophy in his program that is often times forgotten or ignored in other school campuses all across the country: academics and athletics go hand in hand. The young men on his football team have become better men, better fathers, and sometimes even better football players because of his teachings and his philosophies. In a 2008 study of his program, it was discovered that his successful graduation rate of his students was 78% which is well beyond the average 67% for most FBS schools. He and his wife have donated over $4,000,000 to that school and through good times and bad, he has always been willing to help the Pennsylvania State University in any way that he can. He has given more of himself to that school and that community and to college football on a greater scale, than he will ever get back. He has become a living legend to the world of college football, to his peers, to his players, and most importantly to the worldwide population of Penn State students and alumni. He has become a staple of importance for phrases like, “Act like you’ve been there before,” and his statue in Happy Valley will be there until it is eroded.

Suddenly, none of this matters.

After the allegations that came out on the day that will live in infamy: Monday November 7, 2011, nothing that JoePa has done in football will ever make up for what he is accused of doing. To some people, his sterling college record, his numerous bowl wins, national championships and his countless hours of teaching and molding young minds at his university will be forgotten and thrown aside. They will instead be replaced with horrible image of a scandal in which an old man swept a despicable act under the rug. A scandal that saw a man go from being one of the most beloved heroes in college football to a man surrounded by lies and evil. A scandal that saw a college football program go from one of the cornerstone programs in the nation into its deepest darkest hour in which they may never fully recover.

The program has already started its “clean slate” process and rightfully so. After Paterno announced his retirement this afternoon, this program is going to need brand new leadership from the top down. Right now, the new leadership for the football team is the last thing to worry about. The most important thing is finding out what happened and giving out the punishment fairly to those who were involved. That is actually one of the main points of this post: Give the blame fairly. Joe Paterno’s name is all that is talked about on ESPN, ESPN2, CSN, CNN, and every other major news network in the country, but why? Why is this great man’s name the only one that is being tarnished and ripped apart? Joe Paterno did not do these awful things. It is true that he did nothing to stop it or bring it to the proper authorities and that is completely understood, but Jerry Sandusky is the one who deserves the blame here. Jerry Sandusky is the one who did these despicable, unforgiveable acts, and he is the one that will be rightfully punished in the court systems along with the other higher ups at Penn State. Jerry Sandusky is the person that deserves to be punished to the harshest extent of the law because he took something from these children that he will never be able to give back. He did one of the most heinous inexcusable things that an adult can do short of murder, and he will get the thrash of the justice system.  After Sandusky gets the punishment he deserves, there will undoubtedly be punishment given to Tim Curley and he will get what is coming to him for not taking this matter to the police immediately. What does Joe Paterno deserve though? In retrospect, he did bring it to Curley’s attention who then chose to do nothing with it, but he should have done more and he has admitted that. In this whole scenario, Joe Paterno is the only one who did anything, and although it was not enough, he did something. So again, what is fair punishment for Joe Paterno?

Joseph Paterno is getting the worst punishment possible. He is getting the one thing that he loves most, Penn State Football, taken away from him. He was not ready to retire, and he was not ready to go home each day and watch old cowboy westerns, but now he has to do so. This is the greatest punishment that can be put upon a man of his age because one of the things that is so dear and special to him is going to be stripped away. The honor, importance, and integrity that he feels getting out of bed each morning putting on his rolled up khakis white collared shirt, Penn State jacket and black sneakers will no longer be a joy that is given to him. JoePa had the most to lose of any of the offenders here, and he has lost it all. Even though he is not the actual sexual offender, Joe Paterno lost more at this stage in his life than that sexual offender will lose for the rest of his. To some degrees that is fair punishment, fitting of a man who should have done more, but that is the only punishment that Paterno, or his family, should suffer.

The one thing that should never be taken away from Joseph Paterno though is his legacy. Paterno should forever be remembered for all of the amazing and wonderful things that he did in his life. He should be remembered for his numerous football victories, his gifts to his players and most importantly, his gifts to HIS school. He should be remembered as the man who led his team out of the tunnel every Saturday without exception, and the same man who was hoisted by his team on numerous occasions after numerous victories. Without that man, the school would not be what it is today. Simply put, Joe Paterno is Penn State. So do what you want to him right now, take away football, take away Penn State, take away his joy, but do not take away his legacy. He is the one man that has done so much and in the end has asked for so little. He has earned the right to always be remembered for the person he was and the accomplishments he has made instead of the horrible acts that someone else has committed. He has earned the right to walk away from his program knowing that he may not have the job or power that he used to have, but he will still get the respect and legacy he has built up. Do not take this away from a man who has lost enough. When he has left and gone and all that remains in Happy Valley is the statue of the man that once was, he should be remembered as a legend of college football, a legend of the Pennsylvania State University, and a legend of life.