Joe Paterno: His 15 Greatest Moments at Penn State

One of the greatest coaches in sports history passed away the morning of January 22, 2012.

Joe Paterno's illustrious head coaching career spanned 62 seasons on the Penn State sidelines. Only Amos Alonzo Stagg comes close to Paterno's longevity at one institution.

Paterno is a legend in more ways than one. He was a coach, an educator and a molder of young men. He taught players how to play the game of football while showing those players what it meant to be men off of the field.

Some of Paterno's feats can be measured while others are only known by those who knew him best, but no matter how you look at it his career is to be marveled at and celebrated.

Making a list of Paterno's greatest moments is not easy. The length and success of his career on the Penn State sidelines, and in the Penn State community, could fill pages upon pages.

However, I have narrowed my list down to the 15 moments that best define the American icon that was Joe Paterno:

$1 Million Donation to Mount Nittany Medical Center

Joe Paterno, and his wife Sue, donated $1 million to the Mount Nittany Medical Center in 2009. The money was used to erect the east wing expansion of the hospital.

The new wing opened in 2010. It included state-of-the-art rooms, an intensive care unit and an acute-care nursing unit.

Paterno lived his life helping others, and making sure others were taken care of, above all else. His philanthropy consistently exceeded expectations, especially when it came to his beloved community.

The Mount Nittany fundraising foundation, headed by Dr. Jon Dranov and the Paternos, raised $9.7 million total.

Deeds like this often go unnoticed, or are not done at all. Selflessness, such as this, is what sets Paterno apart from most.

Disagreeing with Richard Nixon

Texas defeated Arkansas, 15-14, to go undefeated in the college football world in 1969.

Richard Nixon was serving as the President at the time, and declared Texas the national champions. However, Nixon did not take into account Penn State's season and totally overlooked their undefeated record.

Joe Paterno did not take this statement sitting down. He asked the media in June 1973 how President Nixon could know so little about Watergate, but so much about football.

Devout Nixon supporters may not see the greatness in this moment, but it is there. Paterno was always respectful, but he defended his university, and his team, without holding back.

Paterno is a known political conservative, and did not mean any disrespect. He was simply seeking respect for his underrated 1969 team.

Moments like this show Paterno's devotion, and occasional humor, while on the Penn State sidelines.

Undefeated in His Third Season as Head Coach

Joe Paterno began his coaching career with a bang, finishing 11-0 in his third season as Penn State's head coach.

The season's undefeated mark culminated with an Orange Bowl victory over Kansas, 15-14. The Nittany Lion victory marked the first time an Eastern team had won the Orange Bowl since 1937.

Paterno's success early in his career was amazing in itself. Beating Kansas with a two-point conversion, after the first attempt failed, is even more incredible.

Nittany Lion quarterback Chuck Burkhart had his pass deflected, but the Jayhawks were whistled for having 12 men on the field. The second attempt would be a pitch to running back Bob Campbell.

He would scamper in for the Penn State victory.

Fans quickly endeared themselves to Paterno's winning ways, and his willingness to do whatever it took to grab his team a victory.

Donation to the University

Joe Paterno, and his wife Sue, continued their philanthropic ways despite Joe's harsh departure from the Penn State football program.

In December, the Paternos gave $100,000 to the university. The money was split between a library and an undergraduate program giving students the opportunity to study abroad.

The Paternos gave their annual donation to the university in the face of a terrible situation. Instead of backing off, they did as they have done for a very long time in Happy Valley.

Paterno and his wife have always placed a heavy onus on education. Donating money to undergraduate programs, and the library, entrenches that idea as a mainstay in his legacy.

Acts such as this are exactly why Paterno is, and should be, revered among the Penn State community.

Paterno Library

Joe Paterno gave several million dollars to Penn State University over the course of his career, perhaps none more noteworthy than his donations to expand the Pattee Library.

Paterno's donations to the library added about 130,000 square feet to the structure. Because of his contributions, the university named the expansion the Paterno Library.

The library was dedicated to Paterno on September 8, 2000.

I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but the point cannot be made clear enough. Paterno's priorities did not end inside Beaver Stadium.

He truly cared about anything, and everything, surrounding Penn State and its community. His generosity knew no bounds when it came to Penn State's students and faculty.

Graduation Rate of Nittany Lion Players

Joe Paterno did not allow his players to come to Penn State, play football and lead an otherwise lazy lifestyle.

Paterno preached citizenship, integrity and academics while managing to keep Penn State football at the standard fans were used too.

Penn State football player's graduation rate was 78 percent under Paterno. Considering that the national average is 67 percent, this is not a feat to overlook when looking back on Paterno's unparalleled run in college football.

Instead of asking his players to simply play the game they loved to play, Paterno demanded more.

Players, fans and his fellow coaches respected him for that fact, and that respect goes hand-in-hand with any respect won on the gridiron.

2002 Stagg Award

Joe Paterno was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2002. This award is given to the individual whose services have been outstanding for the advancement of college football.

Paterno was the first active coach to receive the award since former Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson received the award in 1982.

Stagg was best known for innovating the game of college football. He is credited for inventing the huddle, the tackling dummy and sending players in motion.

It was fitting for Paterno to win this award. He coached Penn State with the Nittany Lion's best interest in mind while maintaining an innovative, and clean, coaching resume.

Paterno won several awards throughout his career. This honor ranks up there among his proudest achievements.

Big Ten Championship Trophy

The Big Ten conference decided to add a conference championship game onto their regular season schedule in 2010.

The trophy awarded to the winner of that game was declared the Stagg-Paterno trophy in honor of the former University of Chicago head coach, and the current Penn State head coach.

Paterno's name would eventually be removed from the coveted trophy. However, the honor remains the same.

Naming a trophy after Stagg is one thing. Stagg is the original college football legend, and made the game of football was it is today.

Paterno does not stand far behind Stagg in terms of respect, but giving this type of honor to a current coach is almost unheard of.

He may have had his name unjustly removed from this piece of hardware, but Penn State fans should always remember whose name was originally engraved on this beautiful trophy.

Passing Eddie Robinson

Joe Paterno passed former Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history with a 10-7 victory over Illinois in 2011.

Paterno's 409 victories, at age 84, are truly astounding in the world of sports.

Football coaches, and any coach for that matter, are ultimately judged by the number in the win column. Paterno's success is not matched by anyone, and may not be for a very long time.

Penn State fans will remember Paterno for many things other college football fans will not. However, everyone will remember Paterno for winning, and winning for a long time on the Penn State sidelines.

The 2005 Season

Joe Paterno faced harsh criticism following a 3-9 2003 season, and again in 2004. The 3-9 finish was the worst in school history, and criticism trickled down into the following year.

However, this did not stop Penn State's administration from granting Paterno a four-year contract extension and it did not stop Paterno from going 11-1 in 2005 en route to an Orange Bowl victory over Florida State.

Not only did Paterno's team rebound in a big way under his leadership, but Paterno knocked off fellow icon Bobby Bowden for their Orange Bowl victory.

The 11 wins combined with the BCS berth paved the way for Paterno's fifth career AFCA Coach of the Year award, an unrivaled number to this day.

Paterno, and his team, showed incredible resilience throughout the 2005 season. This is perhaps the most memorable season for Penn State fans when it comes to the latter half of Paterno's career.

1987 Fiesta Bowl

Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions entered the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, undefeated, to face the also-undefeated Miami Hurricanes.

Penn State was ranked No. 2, and Miami was ranked No. 1. However, no one gave Paterno's Penn State team any shot to win the national championship.

Miami outgained Penn State in every conceivable way on offense, but Penn State would find a way to beat the supremely talented Hurricanes, 14-10.

Pete Giftopoulos' game-winning interception from the hand of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde would seal Penn State's sweetest, and most improbable, victory.

The Fiesta Bowl victory marked Paterno's second national championship at Penn State.

The magnitude of this victory still resonates today. Some consider it the greatest college football game of all time, and most Penn State fans consider it the program's finest victory of their storied history.

Passing Bobby Bowden

One season after Paterno coached in his 500th career game for Penn State, he passed legendary Bobby Bowden's 375-win total to become the winningest coach in major college football history.

Paterno's 376th victory came against Temple with a 45-3 lashing of the in-state Owls.

Bowden and Paterno were long-time friends engaged in respectful competition for their sport's highest honor.

Paterno's legacy will always be linked with Bowden's. They coached during the same era for very successful schools, and both were considered the best in the business during their head coaching reigns.

Passing Bowden was highly anticipated among Penn State faithful. It will not be, and should not be, soon forgotten among Penn State fans for generations to come.

College Football Hall of Fame

Joe Paterno was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 after the National Football Foundation decided to allow any coach over 75 to be eligible, without waiting for retirement.

Paterno was injured in a collision on the sidelines against Wisconsin in 2006, and was unable to make it to his induction ceremony in New York City because of those injuries.

Instead, Paterno was inducted as a part of the Hall of Fame's 2007 class and was officially enshrined on July 19, 2008.

There have been many great coaches and players inducted into college football's elite. Paterno's induction as a current coach is truly remarkable among all of those iconic figures.

If anyone is a Hall of Fame-caliber coach, and person, it is Paterno through and through.

Fastest to 300 Victories

Penn State's 48-3 victory over Bowling Green in 1998 gave Joe Paterno his 300th career victory as a head coach.

Not only did Paterno reach the prestigious 300-win plateau, but he was the fastest to ever hit the lofty mark.

Paterno's 1998 team would wind up going 9-3, and Paterno won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.

The 300 victories are one thing. Paterno's longevity and consistent success lent itself to high win totals more years than not.

The fact that Paterno reached the 300 victories faster than anyone is astounding considering the coaches who have cycled through the college football ranks through the years.

He was already there, but this cemented Paterno among the greatest of the great to ever coach football.

Passing Paul "Bear" Bryant

Joe Paterno grabbed his 324th career victory to pass Paul "Bear" Bryant for the most wins in NCAA Division I-A history.

Penn State's 29-27 victory over Ohio State on September 7, 2001 pushed Paterno past perhaps the most legendary coach in college football history.

Bryant's resume as head coach of Alabama is staggering. Putting Paterno alongside Bryant, in terms of documented success, cements the former Penn State coach in college football lore.

Paterno will forever be mentioned among the Bryants of the coaching world. At this point, you could argue that the Bryants are mentioned among the Paternos of the coaching world.

No matter how you cut it, an icon passed an icon. Paterno is an icon of the highest quality, not just in college football but in the entire sporting world.