Penn State Postgame Video: Jay Paterno Bares His Heart to Fired Father

Joe Paterno, right or wrong, is in the middle of this Jerry Sandusky scandal, which has caused his legacy at Penn State to go up in flames. However, nothing escapes the raw emotion from Paterno’s son, Jay, from his postgame comments to his dad. 

“Dad we wish you were here....We love you.” 

Yes, Joe Paterno should have done more. Yes, there is a possibility that Joe Paterno had a chance to put a stop to the alleged actions of Jerry Sandusky. Yes, Joe Paterno had to be fired from his job. 

However, just like Jerry Sandusky’s son, Jon, there are family members of the people who were named in the report who lost their jobs that have felt the ramifications from the grand jury report. 

To go along with Jay’s heart-wrenching postgame video, Jay wore his father’s jacket on the sidelines during today’s game. 

Jay may not have been in front of the cameras as much as his brother Scott was during this week. It may have been because he is still a member of the Penn State coaching staff, or maybe it was because he didn’t want to be a part of the story. 

But that one sentence, that one statement from Jay, showed the love and respect that a son has for his father. 

Joe Paterno made a mistake by not reporting what he was told to the legal authorities. However, as was shown by the support from some of the fans at Beaver Stadium today, there is still a legion of supporters in Penn State for Paterno. 

Jay said what was in his heart and on his mind after the Nebraska game today. 

He missed seeing his dad at work today, a place that he has seen his dad at for his entire life. 

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