Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Statement Urges Fans to Let Legal Process Unfold

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno finally coughed up a statement for the media on Sunday, according to a report by pennlive.com.

The statement of course pertained to the child sex abuse charges filed against former Nittany Lions' coach Jerry Sandusky, who served as Penn State's defensive coordinator under Paterno.

The 84-year-old Paterno released a lengthy statement claiming that he was unaware of what exactly former graduate assistant Mike McQueary witnessed back when the acts were reported in 2002.

McQueary reportedly saw Sandusky performing a sex act on an unnamed boy in the the team's locker room.

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"I understand that people are upset and angry, but let's be fair and let the legal process unfold. In the meantime I would ask all Penn Staters to continue to trust in what that name represents, continue to pursue their lives every day with high ideals and not let these events shake their beliefs nor who they are," he said.

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Paterno's plea to Nittany Lions fans to let the "legal process unfold" demonstrates the coach's unmatched leadership, not to mention his sincere concern for the men he coaches.

Paterno was praised by state prosecutors who were investigating the case for his decision to report the locker room incident back in 2002.

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"The sources said the deputy state prosecutor handling the case said that Paterno did the right thing, and handled himself appropriately in 2002 and during the three-year investigation that ended Friday," according to a Saturday report from pennlive.com

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As already reported by multiple sources, Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex crimes earlier this weekend, and both Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz have been charged with perjury and failure to report a crime.

The response from Paterno has been a refreshing development in this disturbing scandal which has crippled the Penn State football program and overshadowed an 8-1 season.