Paterno...The way I will remember him
Paterno...The way I will remember him
I am lucky to be the part of the last class of Penn State students that had Paterno as the head coach of the football team for all four years while in school. He did so much for my university and each day I benefitted from the work that he had done. To me, he will always be a man of honor and someone that I will be glad to tell my kids someday to read about and live their lives like him. If I can have 1/1000th of the impact on society that he did, I will live a life that I will be proud of.
Just look at some of the success stories of those that he coached. They went on to just like him in important aspects of life: successful, good leaders, good husbands and fathers, and care for those around them. He created an environment at Penn State for decades that allowed athletes to find success outside of the football field. This was all while they were able to produce winning teams on the field.
Even in the most trying time of his life he left an example for the rest of us. He did not speak badly of one person (Sandusky, PSU admins, PSU Board of Trustees) after he had what he lived for and created taken from him. He, unlike anyone else in this scandal, accepted responsibility for how he handled the situation and was regretful and remorseful for his actions. He continued to love our university and generously donated another $100,000 on his death bed to better the library and generate scholarship revenue to help grow more great members of society.
Paterno's job over the years was Penn State's football coach and for those that he burnt bridges with (President Nixon, Pitt's administration, ect.) it was because he cared about one thing and that was the growth of Penn State football and helping the student-athletes that were working so hard get further ahead on and off the field.
He was a coach that forced players to miss practice time to focus on their school work, he never spoke poorly of an opponent and treated them all with respect, he always felt that players won games and coaches lost them, and was first to take the blame off the kids and put it on himself.
I tend to judge a man's character by how those that were closest to him speak of him. His former coaches, players, and collegues all speak about him in the highest regards and I will believe that before how the media portrays a man. To me, Joe is one of the greatest of our generation and I will remember him as a leader in our society.
Just look at some of the success stories of those that he coached. They went on to just like him in important aspects of life: successful, good leaders, good husbands and fathers, and care for those around them. He created an environment at Penn State for decades that allowed athletes to find success outside of the football field. This was all while they were able to produce winning teams on the field.
Even in the most trying time of his life he left an example for the rest of us. He did not speak badly of one person (Sandusky, PSU admins, PSU Board of Trustees) after he had what he lived for and created taken from him. He, unlike anyone else in this scandal, accepted responsibility for how he handled the situation and was regretful and remorseful for his actions. He continued to love our university and generously donated another $100,000 on his death bed to better the library and generate scholarship revenue to help grow more great members of society.
Paterno's job over the years was Penn State's football coach and for those that he burnt bridges with (President Nixon, Pitt's administration, ect.) it was because he cared about one thing and that was the growth of Penn State football and helping the student-athletes that were working so hard get further ahead on and off the field.
He was a coach that forced players to miss practice time to focus on their school work, he never spoke poorly of an opponent and treated them all with respect, he always felt that players won games and coaches lost them, and was first to take the blame off the kids and put it on himself.
I tend to judge a man's character by how those that were closest to him speak of him. His former coaches, players, and collegues all speak about him in the highest regards and I will believe that before how the media portrays a man. To me, Joe is one of the greatest of our generation and I will remember him as a leader in our society.