Joe Paterno: The Penn State Coach's Legacy Will Live on Forever

When I woke up this morning and turned on the T.V. I was excited for the two NFL playoff games, I was somewhat relieved that the Miami Heat won another game without Dwyane Wade and I was happy that Rafael Nadal won another match at the Australian Open.

However, what I saw next made all those feelings go away.

When I turned the channel to ESPN, the bottom headline of SportsCenter read, "Joe Paterno, dead at the age of 85."

Was I still asleep and this was all just a bad dream, or was this actually reality? I needed someone to throw a bucket of cold water on my face. I needed someone to wake me up from this nightmare. I began pinching myself all over and soon realized that this was all very real.

The great Joe Paterno had in fact died.

I was never a Penn State fan, but you don't have to be a fan to admire, appreciate and respect how Joe Paterno influenced the Penn State football team, the university and the NCAA as a whole.

His work on the football field speaks for itself, but what he did off it speaks even more highly of his character. More than just developing football players to go out and give it all for the Penn State community, Paterno developed men of exemplary character who didn't need football to be successful in life. He gave millions of dollars to help Penn State become one of the premier universities in the country.

He was, in fact, Penn State.

The events that led to Paterno's eventual firing will sadly tarnish his legacy in some people's eyes. To some, he will always be, "that coach who didn't report the sex scandal," but to others he will always be considered the most winningest, most successful coach in college football history.

What happened today showed us that Joe Paterno wasn't a football god. He is not immortal, but instead, he is a mere mortal like all the rest of us.

What separates him from the rest of us, however, is that his legacy will always live on. When people set foot on the Penn State campus, they will always see the statue of Paterno leading his team onto the field and admire all the things he accomplished as a Nittany Lion.

Joe Paterno was a man amongst boys and his contributions will always resonate within the college football community.

He will forever be, "JoePa, college football's greatest coach."