by Marq Burnett, co-host of The Student Section – Thursdays 6-8 p.m.
Eleven weeks ago, a historic figure watched as his career and reputation were publicly humiliated for the world to see. For six-decades, he was the standard of excellence in college football, but 11 weeks ago, that same historic figure became the center of one of the biggest scandals in the history of college athletics.
Joseph Vincent Paterno was the head coach of the Penn State football team from 1966-Nov. 9, 2011. He joined the Penn State coaching staff in 1950 as an assistant coach and slowly became a ‘larger than life’ figure in the state of Pennsylvania.
In one of the great moments in college football in 2010, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden met at midfield at Bryant-Denny Stadium before Penn State played Alabama.
Ultimately, Paterno’s last three months of life were dominated largely by a career ending lapse of judgment and complications from lung cancer. He fought hard against the disease, but lost his battle early on Sunday morning. The cancer claimed his life, but a broken heart took his will to live.
If you’re a college football with any sense of history, Sunday was a sad day. It was the passing of a true legend. Despite how you feel about Paterno and how he handled the scandal, you have to respect his contributions to college football and understand how much he meant to State College and the entire state of Pennsylvania.
Before the Jerry Sandusky sex-scandal broke, Paterno was the most respected and revered coach in all of college sports. He was the coach who did everything ‘the right way’. No NCAA violations, no scandals or any other negative things nearly every major college football program seems to get caught in. He was the coach who could do no wrong and worshiped throughout the nation for what he did on and off the field.
Immediately following the scandal, people took to social media and other outlets to express their opinions. Few people outside of State College, Pa. stood by Paterno and he was more discussed in the scandal than the alleged criminal (hasn’t been convicted).
Paterno said, “I wish I had done more,” about the Jerry Sandusky allegations. Throughout his career he always did more. He went above and beyond the call of duty as the head coach at Penn State. He donated over $4 million dollars to the University and always led dialogue on ways to improve college football with other notable figures in the sport. He influenced thousands of young people as a coach, a mentor and or a father figure.
But all of that was quickly forgotten when word spread that Paterno knew of Sandusky’s wrong doing.
As a coach, he won two national championships (1982 and 1986), had five undefeated seasons ( 1968, ’69, ’73, ‘86, ’96) and his 409 career wins are the most in the history of Division-I college football.
During his time at Penn State, there were 12 different United States presidents and over 900 coaching changes throughout college football. Never will there be a run like this by any coach in any sport again.
It was whispered throughout college football that Paterno avoided retirement because he didn’t want to suffer the same fate as Bear Bryant, who suffered a heart attack just four weeks after coaching his last game (Thursday is the 30th anniversary of Bryant’s death). Like Bryant, Paterno lived for coaching. It defined them both as men and without it; life for them was not complete.
Eleven weeks ago, an 85-year old legend watched as his career and ultimately his life came to an end. Love him or hate him, today and for the rest of time that same man should be remembered for all the great things he did and how he was the standard of excellence in a sport for over six decades.
Marq Burnett is the assistant sports editor of The Crimson White and co-host of The Student Section on 90.7. His sports column runs weekly on Mondays and The Student Section airs Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.
