Paterno lead the Nittany Lions to five undefeated and untied seasons in 1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, and 1994, as well as two National Championships in 1982 and 1986. Joe Pa is the all-time winningest coach in FBS history with 409 victories and his 24 bowl wins are more than any other coach. Paterno had 21 seasons where his Nittany Lions won 10 game or more and he lead Penn St. to 22 top 10 finishes in the AP poll.
Paterno will be remembered just as much around Penn St. for what he did to help the university grow as an institution. His "Grand Experiment" in helping athletics and academics coexist as well as his honorable donations to the university greatly improved academic life at State College, Pennsylvania. Paterno and his wife raised over 13.75 million dollars for a new library at the university and the library now bares the Paterno name.
However, Joe Pa's legacy will forever be tarnished because of the sexual abuse scandal involving his long-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky that occurred while he was the head coach and ultimately forced him to be fired. Although after learning about the abuse, Paterno reported the incident to his supervisor, he came under criticism for not following up on the report and making sure that it got to the police. Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said, "somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child. I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us [the police]."
Reaction from Paterno's death has been widespread. It has come from a wide range of people including former and current Penn St. players, opposing players and coaches, and even a former President. Here is some reaction from Paterno's death.
Current and Former Penn St. players and coaches on Joe Paterno's death:
Current Penn St. Head Coach Bill O’Brien: "It is with great sadness that I am compelled to deliver this message of condolence and tribute to a great man, husband, father and someone who is more than just a coach, Joe Paterno. First, on behalf of Penn State Football, we offer our sincerest condolences to the Paterno family for their loss. We also offer our condolences to the Penn State community and, in particular, to those who wore the Penn State colors, our Nittany Lion football players and alumni. Today they lost a great man, coach, mentor and, in many cases, a father figure, and we extend our deepest sympathies. The Penn State Football program is one of college football's iconic programs because it was led by an icon in the coaching profession in Joe Paterno. There are no words to express my respect for him as a man and as a coach. To be following in his footsteps at Penn State is an honor. Our families, our football program, our university and all of college football have suffered a great loss, and we will be eternally grateful for Coach Paterno's immeasurable contributions."
Former Penn St. defensive coordinator Tom Bradley from 2000 to 2011: “Words seem to pale in a moment such as this. The terms "icon" and "legend" have often been used to describe Joe Paterno. Certainly, he was both within the world of college athletics. But to those of us who played for him, to those of us who coached with him and to those of us who had the privilege to call him a friend, Joe Paterno was much more. To me, he was my mentor for 37 years, and the lessons that I learned from him as a player, coach and friend will live on with me forever. It was Coach Paterno who saw what I could be and helped me to realize that potential. He was a tremendous teacher not because he knew all of the answers but because he challenged us to find the answers for ourselves. He made us better men than we believed we could be -- both on and off the field. And when we lost our way or became unsure of ourselves, it was Coach Paterno who was there to encourage us, guide us and remind us that we must always strive to succeed with honor. Coach Paterno never believed his role as "coach" ended after practice, or when the fourth quarter wound down or when a student-athlete graduated. He was a coach for life. I am deeply grateful to have had Coach Paterno in my life. He was the epitome of class and his spirit will live on in all of us who had the great honor of knowing him and running out of the tunnel with him on so many autumn Saturdays. My thoughts and prayers are with Coach Paterno's devoted wife, Sue, his son Jay, with whom I coached so many years, and with the entire Paterno family during this sad and difficult time.
Former Penn St. linebacker Paul Posluszny from 2003 to 2006: "It’s hard to put into words what Coach Paterno means to me… My four years in State College playing under him were more than I could ever imagine and helped shaped me not only as a player but as a person. I stand in awe of what he was able to accomplish at Penn State not only on the playing field but his graduation rates and how he put so much money back into the school. He truly loved the university. Coach Paterno was not only one of the greatest coaches in any sport but he was a great man who did things the right way… Coach Paterno should be remembered and revered for his 61 years of service to the Penn State community, the many games and championships he won, and the positive influence he was in so many lives. He was one of a kind and his legacy will be lasting."
Former Penn St. safety Bryan Scott from 2000 to 2002: "It's really difficult to find words that encompass what Coach Paterno will forever mean to me. He reinforced that a man's character, morals, values and fundamentals were the main ingredient for success. Succeeding in the classroom, succeeding at your job, succeeding at home, should all be placed before success on the football field. He brought great perspective to my life, and I will always and forever take those lessons, live by them, and pass them forward."
Former Penn St. linebacker LaVar Arrington from 1998 to 1999: "I love my school, I love my teammates, I love my coaches, I love everything about the institution I was a part of… What he's [Paterno] done for me, it's amazing how I live my life, and I know, in large part, it's basically due to how much that man challenged me. He was able to get the big picture on guys. Either you were going to rise up to the challenge, or you were gonna succumb to it… I'm not going to say Joe was perfect in the way he handled it [the sexual abuse scandal]. But he certainly wasn't inadequate in the way he handled that situation. And not in a way where everything that man handled in his life is null and void. Not at all."
Former Penn St. running back Mike Guman from 1976 to 1979: “You could have become a good football player at many places but you wouldn’t have become the man you are if you didn’t go to Penn State.”
Former Penn St. linebacker Matt Millen from 1976 to 1977: "I am numb. Forget the football aspect. We just lost a great contributor to our society. He was way more than a football coach. There are many living positive testimonies walking around because of Joe Paterno. He straightened out many lives. He was rare. This was a real guy — he was not a fake. Was he infallible? Absolutely not. He had his flaws; he made mistakes. But he was as close to being what you are supposed to be as anyone I ever have been around. He was a teacher who affected thousands [with] life lessons... My impression was that he was very heavy-hearted about the scandal. Certainly, the cancer will be listed as the cause of death. But I can't help but think that a broken heart pushed him over the edge.''
Former Penn St. tight end Mickey Shuler from 1975 to 1977: “It’s just sad because I think he died from other things than lung cancer. I don’t think that the Penn State that he helped us to become and all the principles and values and things that he taught were carried out in the handling of his situation.”
Former Penn St. running back Lydell Mitchell from 1970 to 1971: “We came to Penn State as young kids and when we left there we were men and the reason for that was Joe Paterno.”
Former Penn St. practice player Joe Yermal in 1963: "It's heartbreaking. They will miss him, I will miss him. Joe was never, what would the expression be, a warm and fuzzy guy. That wasn't him. He'd bark and growl and what have you, and at the same time, after he'd done that, he'd check and make sure things were okay with your family. This problem that he encountered regarding the Sandusky allegations and what have you are obviously going to be a part of it, but it's not going to be the main chapter. I think it will be a footnote. I think over the years people will look back and recognize how much the guy gave to the university, how important the success of the school was to him. I will look back, as I do with my Dad, at him and I won't cry when I think about him, but I will smile.”
Current and Former Opposing Players and Coaches on Joe Paterno's death:
Current South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier: "I have the utmost respect and admiration for Joe Paterno. I've coached around 300 college games and only once when I've met the other coach at midfield prior to the game have I asked a photographer to take a picture of me with the other coach. That happened in the Citrus Bowl after the '97 season when we were playing Penn State. I had one of our university photographers take the picture with me and Coach Paterno, and I still have that photo in the den at my house. That's the admiration I have for Joe Paterno. It was sad how it ended, but he was a great person and coach.”
Current Alabama head coach Nick Saban: "Joe Paterno gave his life to college football. He gave his life to the players and college football. Not just at Penn State, but when I was the head coach at Michigan State, we had a player who could get a sixth year because of an injury, and Joe was the head of the committee. He got it done for the player, and that player actually ran a touchdown against them that could have cost them the game later that season. But never I never doubted with him that he was going to do what was best for college football, and the players that played it, and I think that should be his legacy… Probably as much as anything what we all try to get as coaches, a well-disciplined team that gives tremendous effort, plays physical, has the ability to execute down-in and down-out and play winning football. And when you played Joe's teams, that's exactly what you were playing against. They always had real good athletes, but to me it was the level they performed at that was indicative of the kind of program that he ran, the kind of influence that he had on the players... It's just too bad for everyone that someone who had done so much for college football, his legacy would really end. Maybe the message that everyone out there could learn from this is that assistant coaches, players, everybody involved in programs have a responsibility and obligation to do the right things for the institutions, because people remember Joe Paterno as part of this more than they do anyone else. That may be the shame of it all. Maybe he made a mistake in how he managed it, but really wasn't the guy who did the wrongdoing. But all of us need to understand that whatever profession we're in, sometimes the people in charge can really suffer just as much as the people who made the wrong choices and decisions.”
Current Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer: “We have lost someone with great and special talents. He had great and special talent as far as being a leader, which is very obvious by his winning record. And, he had a great and special talent in how he treated people. In my experience with him, he was always charming, gracious and thoughtful. I think he was a great fighter, and I know he fought this illness to the very end. College football will miss Joe Paterno.”
Current Ohio St. head coach Urban Meyer: "He was a man who I have deep respect for as a human being, as a husband and father, as a leader and as a football coach. I was very fortunate to have been able to develop a personal relationship with him, especially over the course of the last several years, and it is something that I will always cherish. We have lost a remarkable person and someone who affected the lives of so many people in so many positive ways. His presence will be dearly missed. His legacy as a coach, as a winner and as a champion will carry on forever."
Current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald: "The legacy of Joe Paterno will be long lasting -- not only as a football coach and mentor, but as a family man. For 62 years, Coach Paterno poured his heart and soul into a football program and university, helping countless young men reach their dreams and goals on the football field before moving on to successful careers and lives as adults. It's hard to fathom the impact that Coach Paterno has had on college football and at Penn State. His insight and wisdom will be missed. We at Northwestern send our condolences to Sue and the Paterno family."
Current Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill: “I got home last night from recruiting and my oldest daughter said she had just heard. Fifteen minutes later, my youngest daughter at Murray State called. That's two girls from a coach's family reacting to it. That really sums up his impact. It hits home. He coached for 60 years with more than 100 players per year. Think about how many lives he touched, how many good things he has done. From my family to the Paterno family, our prayers go out to them. It's a sad day for football, but a good day for the man upstairs. I would tell people not to forget what that guy has done. To coach for 60 years in one place, that just won't ever happen again. I didn't get to coach against him. But I got to coach in the Big Ten, sit next to him at a meeting and have my picture taken with him. That's something I will never forget.”
Current Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini: "My condolences go out to Coach Paterno’s family and the Penn State community. I have so much respect for what Coach Paterno accomplished at Penn State both on and off the field. He wasn’t just a legendary coach, but a class individual and his record speaks for itself. I had the honor of getting a few chances to spend time with him since we joined the Big Ten, and those were special opportunities for me as a relatively young head coach in this profession."
Former Florida St. head coach Bobby Bowden from 1976 to 2009: "It’s going to be very hard to imagine college football without Joe in this world… I've known Joe forever. I've known him personally since 1966. The first time I met him was 1962. We've always been very close. We're close to the same age. He's just one of the best coaches ever. I felt like he would go down as probably the best ever, but after this little thing it kind of tainted it. But I'm sorry it happened. I hate it happened. I hate to see something happen to Joe… It is really sad. The guy had the most illustrious career in the history of college football, probably all of football. To put the years together and have the success he had and then have it all end like this, it’s just tragic. I’m just going to remember the good things because he did so many good things at Penn State. … It’s amazing. You can do so many good things in your life and then have one mistake. You can’t ignore the great years he had at Penn State and the great things he did for Penn State. That university is known for Joe Paterno and [his wife] Sue. It’s just a great tragedy… Just remember the good things. I don't remember the bad things. He didn't have many bad things. I would only remember the good things. He and I spent a lot of time together. We played him 10 times at West Virginia and played him twice when I was at Florida State in bowls. I never beat him in Pennsylvania. He had too many good players.”
Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley from 1964 to 1968: "Barbara and I are saddened by the sudden and untimely loss of our long time dear friend Joe Paterno. His wife Sue was a special friend and our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. Joe was a great role model and represented all that was good about college football. It was tragic that such a person had to endure the heartbreaks of his last months on earth. God Bless Joe and Sue."
A Former President on Joe Paterno's death:
Former President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Joe Paterno. He was an outstanding American who was respected not only on the field of play but in life generally - and he was, without a doubt, a true icon in the world of sports. I was proud that he was a friend of mine. Barbara and I send our condolences to his devoted wife Suzanne and to his wonderful family."
However, the reaction was not all positive towards Paterno much like how his legacy is not going to be remembered as only positive.
Writer and producer Justin Stangel tweeted, "Will there be a moment of silence for Joe Paterno, to honor his silence when he discovered children were being attacked."
Gregg "Opie" Hughes of The Opie and Anthony Show twetted, "What an insult! Penn State having a MOMENT OF SILENCE for Joe Paterno. That's what got him in trouble in the first place!... So strange how many people are sticking up for Joe Paterno seeing how Joe didn't stick up for innocent children. #Get Help... Maybe the heater are right saying it's too soon for Joe Paternojokes. I gusess I'll be like Joe Pa and wai 10 year. #ZingZangZoom
"Twitter queen" and comedian Kelly Oxford tweeted, "Joe Paterno's doctors also said they wish they could have done more."
