Two weeks after Penn State announced it would “commemorate” the 50th anniversary of Joe Paterno’s first game as Nittany Lions head coach, the school has offered more details about what that commemoration — which will take on Saturday afternoon during PSU’s game against Temple — will entail.
In a statement, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said the “commemorative activities will focus on the commitment (Paterno) had to student-athletes and academics” while highlighting his first-ever game as head coach back in 1966, a win over Maryland.
Statement from Sandy Barbour, Director of Athletics: https://t.co/doTDCIEdGn pic.twitter.com/6Q2WCZ5ts2
— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) September 15, 2016
“Coach Paterno wanted academic success not only for his players but also for every student who came through Penn State. Together with his wife, Sue, they helped countless students become leaders and earn a Penn State diploma,” Barbour said. “Our plans are consistent with the wishes of the Paterno family as well, with a focus on the players and their accomplishments at Penn State and beyond.”
Barbour said members of that 1966 Penn State team, including co-captains Mike Irwin and John Runnells, will be in attendance. Those two will take part in the on-field coin toss. The day will also feature “introductions of players” throughout the game, as well as “video presentations on the impact to student-athletes.”
In a statement, Joe’s wife, Sue, said the family is “pleased” the university has decided to “acknowledge Joe’s contributions.”
.@OnwardState Here is Sue Paterno's statement on the matter: pic.twitter.com/TZg8aROqzQ
— Onward State (@OnwardState) September 15, 2016
Penn State has caught plenty of flak for the decision to acknowledge Paterno, which was revealed in a Sept. 1 press release about game day promotions for the 2016 season. Other than brief glimpses of Paterno in videos shown during and before games, this will be the first recognition for the coach by the program in Beaver Stadium since his last game as head coach on Oct. 29, 2011.
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Paterno, who joined the Penn State staff as an assistant in 1950 before being promoted to head coach in 1966, was fired by the university’s board of trustees on Nov. 9, 2011 — just days after the arrest of longtime PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky for child sexual abuse. Sandusky, who was found guilty on 45 counts in June 2012, coached under Paterno from 1969 to 1999, serving as defensive coordinator from 1977 until he retired in 1999.
Paterno, who died in January 2012, has been heavily criticized for his perceived lack of reaction to accusations against Sandusky. Former PSU assistant Mike McQueary has said on several occasions he witnessed Sandusky with a boy in 2002. In grand jury testimony from winter 2011, Paterno testified McQueary told him he had seen Sandusky “fondling a young boy” in the showers and that it was “of a sexual nature.” Paterno, who said McQueary did not get into specifics, then notified then-athletic director Tim Curley about what McQueary told him. Paterno has been criticized for not doing more.
In the Freeh Report, a Penn State-sanctioned investigation into the Sandusky situation released in July 2012, it is alleged that Paterno, along with former school president Graham Spaniel, Curley and former senior vice president for business and finance Gary Schultz were aware of complaints against Sandusky. In one instance, the Freeh Report accuses Spanier, Curley and Schultz of choosing not to report the allegation against Sandusky which was relayed from McQueary to Paterno.
The Paterno family has long argued that Joe didn’t have knowledge of Sandusky’s misdeeds, while others, including Penn State president Eric Barron, have called into question the legitimacy of the Freeh Report.
Paterno finished his career with a 409-136-3 record at Penn State, the most wins in FBS history. As a part of the NCAA sanctions against Penn State during the fallout of the Sandusky saga, 111 of Paterno’s wins were removed from the record. The wins were subsequently restored in January 2015.
Before Sandusky’s arrest, Paterno and his “success with honor” slogan were known as a bastion of good in collegiate athletics — a prime example of achieving both on the field and in the classroom. Penn State football’s graduation rates were consistently among the best in the country and Paterno and his wife Sue also donated millions of dollars toward various academic ventures at Penn State. The library on campus bears the Paterno name.
Penn State, which dropped to 1-1 with a loss last weekend to Pittsburgh, hosts Temple (1-1) at noon.
For more Penn State news, visit BlueWhiteIllustrated.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
