It was located on the northeast side of Beaver Stadium on the campus of the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania until it was removed in 2012 in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. It is in Christ that we have life and it is in Christ and not in ourselves that we find our salvation.Joe Paterno is a bronze sculpture of Joe Paterno, former head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. In Jesus Christ there is the goodness that we cannot achieve. Salvation comes from the grace of God alone. So it is that God must do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. For most of us, myself included, there is indeed more than one. Yet, in the end there will always be that one flaw. We can strive for a perfect moral and ethical scorecard. We can all strive to be the best person we can be. As good a man as he was in the end there was that one disturbing moment.įrom a Christian perspective this only points us to the need of a Savior. Yet, even the best of people have that one flaw, that one slip, that one shortcoming that denies them perfection. Joe Paterno was a good man in the every sense of the word. In all of this we are reminded of the fragility of human goodness. The harm done to them was far worse than the harm done to Joe Paterno. As much as one might mourn the sad end for him the true victims were and are the young men allegedly molested by Coach Sandusky. Yet, Joe Paterno was not the ultimate victim. However, in the end Joe Paterno still has a profound legacy as coach and a leader who did much to enhance the lives of many. In many ways Paterno was a victim of this tragedy. I have no doubt that the stress and sadness of the last few months hastened Paterno’s death. While he was stricken with cancer some have said that he died of a broken heart. In the end, the coach that won more games than anyone else in the history of college football was out of a job.Īgainst this backdrop Joe Paterno died within a few weeks after losing his job. The powers that be at Penn State said he should have done more. The question simply revolved around whether he should have done more in light of the tragic circumstances. In the end, Joe Paterno was dismissed as head football coach at Penn State. That said, the authorities in Pennsylvania have said Joe Paterno committed no criminal acts and was a cooperative witness in the investigation. Many have claimed that Paterno did not react in a strong enough manner after the incident. The incident was reported to Paterno who reported to his athletic director. Sandusky ran a foundation for troubled youths which he allegedly used to recruit young boys for illicit purposes.Īfter his retirement, Sandusky was reported to have engaged in inappropriate acts in the showers of the Penn State locker room. It has been recently revealed that Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno’s long time defensive coordinator allegedly had inappropriate relationships with young boys. Sadly, we know of another chapter in the Paterno story. Because of the success of his football teams many were attracted to the university increasing its standing in the world of academia. Paterno also did much to elevate the academic status of Penn State University. Therefore, his players went to class as they should and most earned their degrees. While his football teams were well coached in the fundamentals of the game, Paterno really stressed that his players were in college to get an education and not to merely play football. He lived in a fairly modest home in State College, Pennsylvania. He was devoted to his wife Sue and was known as a good family man. Joe Paterno was devout in his Roman Catholic faith. Not only was Joe Paterno a great football coach, he was known for doing things the right way. I know that he won one more game than I wish he had when during my senior year at the University of Georgia he defeated the Bulldogs on the Sugar Bowl costing Georgia the National Championship. He won more games than any coach in the history of college football. Joe Paterno, as I’m sure most everyone knows, was the legendary football coach at Penn State University. Joe Paterno passed away Sunday at the age of 85.
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