Urban Meyer Penn State Speculation: Not Even Meyer Can Fill Joe Paterno's Shoes

With speculation being that Urban Meyer could take the now empty head coaching job at Penn State, he will never replace Joe Paterno.

Paterno was a coach for Penn State for 62 years, and the 84-year-old dedicated his life to the program.  He holds the record for the most seasons for any coach with one university.  He was the head coach for 44 seasons.  He coached for 704 of Penn State's 1,225 games, which is 57.5 percent.

Known for his thick glasses and rolled up pants, Paterno's tenure lasted so long that Beaver Stadium was under construction six times, expanding from roughly 46,000 to over 106,000.

Paterno was offered many other jobs, including NFL head coaching positions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and the New York Giants on multiple occasions.  He turned down all offers except for the Patriots job, which he accepted but then backed out of.

Paterno saw the best of Penn State football.  He coached in the Fiesta Bowl, beating a Miami team that had a very bad reputation.  He coached during the Snow Bowl against Michigan, relying on a fake field goal for a touchdown.  He won his 400th game in comeback fashion against Northwestern, behind backup quarterback Matt McGloin's four touchdowns.

While Paterno wasn't perfect, he was certainly a legend.

He did have to apologize after a profane rant against Rutgers coach Doug Graber.  He was accused of not taking sexual assault seriously in 2006, and he showed some road rage in 2007.

However, he is the man who will be forever tied with Penn State football and, unfortunately, this sex scandal.

Paterno was a legend, and he will be remembered forever.  Whatever Urban Meyer could do for this program would not even compare with Joe's legacy.  Paterno's 24 bowl victories are the most in history, including two national championships and five undefeated seasons.

His career has been decorated with awards and honors, and there has been no college football coach as good as he was.

Urban Meyer is a great coach that I have a good deal of respect for.  However, he cannot do what Paterno did, and even hiring him would not totally ease the pain of Penn State supporters.  Paterno's shoes can never be filled, and he will not be forgotten, as the Penn State students showed us.