Joe Paterno: Jerry Sandusky Will Not Be What Penn State Coach Is Remebered for

With Joe Paterno’s fate at Penn State sealed, it is important to remember that, ultimately, Jerry Sandusky is the one who allegedly committed the crimes and deserves whatever punishment comes his way.

Paterno did what he was supposed to do legally when he was informed of Sandusky’s transgressions: He informed the people at the university that needed to know and they were the ones who failed to act.

University president Graham Spanier deserves more blame for the backlash against the school than Paterno, though it appears both men will lose their jobs as a result.

There have been many articles written about Paterno over the last three days, and most of them have been negative.

For instance, a column from Blair Kerkhoff in The Kansas City Star wrote an article titled “Joe Paterno’s Legacy of Greatness Tarnished by Penn State Scandal:”

"

The legal point isn’t questioned. Paterno did what was required, and said as much in a statement. But at the heart of the firestorm is the moral responsibility of the men who were told of the incident and knew nothing came of it.

Paterno has long been held as a standard of coaching. Honest to the core, tough when required and charitable away from the game, he’s helped build libraries at Penn State, and his teams’ graduation rates are among the nation’s best.

...

Other college football coaching greats have departed the game amid unfavorable circumstances. But no coach admired as universally as Paterno has ever confronted an issue like this.

Decades of greatness will never be forgotten, but neither will the moment nine years ago when, unlike any other time in his career, Paterno and others chose not to stop a crime.

"

Paterno’s moral responsibility should have led him to do more, but to blame him for what Sandusky did and the failure of his superiors to act in a proper manner are not his fault.

After 46 seasons of coaching football and being one of the most revered and beloved figures in all of sports, Paterno should not be remembered for others' mistakes.

Paterno is not completely without fault in this instance, I know, but he did not technically do anything wrong.

Could he have done more? Yes, there is no doubt about that. But after running this Penn State program with class and dignity for so long, he should not be remembered for Sandusky and the failure of others to act.