Most Penn State fans probably remember where they were when last year’s campaign began with a disastrous loss to Temple. As Penn State’s athletic department finalizes details for how to honor the 50th anniversary of Joe Pa.
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They gathered on Friday night outside the school’s baseball stadium to celebrate their accomplishments and the coach who inspired them before he left a polarizing legacy.
Jay Paterno, the late coach’s son, told ESPN he wanted to see Penn State “get its name back”. Take that run away, and the Lions rushed for 61 yards on 36 carries.
Underdog Dynasty: The victory past year was the biggest for the program in a long time, maybe even ever, and got people in Philly to actually talk about Temple Football. “So when a guy makes a big play, there’s really not a “wow” moment, it’s just, “you had your chance, you did a great job” and you know what’s expected out of us as a receiver group”.
It’s a sentiment shared by numerous men gathered there but not by a large group who view Paterno as a villain in the Sandusky scandal.
Sandusky coached on Paternos staff for three decades until 1999.
Limauro said he is not a victim of abuse himself, but hoped his protest will encourage those who are to come forward.
While some at Penn State pretend, as Paterno did, the national perception is that time doesn’t allow past wins or graduation rates to erase or even offset helping to facilitate predatory acts on children.
Penn State students support Joe Paterno during the game against the Temple Owls.
But protesters held signs with messages such as “You forgot already”, alluding to the child sex abuse scandal that shook Penn State in 2011.
The planned tribute was met with harsh criticism before and during the game against Temple as protesters turned their backs during the homage which spoke about “success with honor” with Paterno’s commitment to academics. There were no other confrontations, however.
Josiah Viera – a 12-year-old who has the body of a much older man because he suffers from the rapid-aging syndrome progeria – was in the Penn State locker room before and after the game. “If it’s two, just stick your head in there and drive to get the two. It’s as if these poor little kids who were sexually abuse here don’t matter”. Court documents released this summer revealed Paterno may have been aware of the sexual abuse for nearly four decades before Sandusky was brought to trial. The university’s president, Eric Barron, has said the allegation was not substantiated in court or tested by any other process.
Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 on 45 of 48 charges and is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence. The NCAA has since restored the victories, once again making Paterno the winningest coach in Division I college football history.
He and fellow Penn State star Lydell Mitchell stood at the site where a statue of Paterno was removed by the university shortly after the scandal broke and talked with fans before Saturday’s game. Penn State responded, saying the alleged victim’s claims are unsubstantiated.
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In early September, Penn State announced that it would mark the 50th anniversary of Paterno’s first game as the Nittany Lions’ head coach during the team’s game against the Owls on Sept. 17. “It’s a good first step”.
