The Real Story Of Joe Paterno's Three Year Extension Shows Penn State Gets It

In life, business, love and football, there are words and actions that mean so much more than what is said or done at face value.  Sometimes they convey feelings that can't be put into more understandable communication.  Such was the case of 81-year-old Joe Paterno getting a three year extension to his contract.

This is a university and an administration that gets it.  This is a university and an administration that is worthy of the loyalty than Paterno has given them in return.  It is proof that there is sanity in the quickly becoming 'all business' world of college football.

This is a university and administration that knows there's more to football than X's and O's, wins and losses, recruits and walk ons.  This is college football, where emotion, tradition, family and loyalty and yes, love, is more important than ticket sales and bottom lines.

Penn State get it.  Though I bleed Crimson and White for my beloved Alabama, I watch and root for Penn State almost as hard.  Our two programs are about tradition, great times, bad times and coming back. 

Just a few years back there were those who said Paterno's best days were behind him, that he was all washed up that he was now irrelevant.  The University stuck with him and in what was Joe Pa's tradition until this year, simply signed another one year extension, went back to work and was one game short this year of playing for another national championship.

He recently hurt his hip and had hip replacement.  How did that happen?  Because he was on the practice field demonstrating how to do a proper on sides kick!  Does this sound like a man that's lost his passion for coaching?

With exciting recruits coming in to fill a team already loaded with great talent and Penn State expected to win the Big 10 again next year, does that sound washed up?

One player on Penn State's team recently said, "My parents wanted me to go to West Virginia, and I had friends who would be in school there too, but I had a chance to play for Joe Paterno, and I wanted to be able to do that and tell my grandchildren I played for Joe."

Does that sound irrelevant?  Penn State understood that.  They got it.  Loyalty given was now loyalty returned.  They knew Paterno had turned down numerous offers from the NFL and in doing so, turned down the opportunity to double or triple his income.  He was a Penn State man, not just a Penn State coach.

It has always been that way.  Joe has given back to the school in donations about as much as they've ever paid him in salary.  University President Graham Spanier knows just how far that commitment goes.

"Joe brings so much integrity to everything he touches.  It's just not the fact that he runs a clean program, graduates his athletes, maintains high morale and scholastic goals for them, but what he does for the entire university."  Spanier said recently.

He continued, "A lot of the money I've raised, I couldn't have raised without Joe Paterno being there and helping me do it. A lot of the enthusiasm that our donors have ... is because of the example and the leadership he has set."

Recently Penn State hired a consultant to come in help them with a fund raiser.  The goal the consultant suggested sounded to fine to everyone in the room but Paterno.  He said, "Why shoot for such a low goal?  Let's go for one billion dollars!"  Everyone thought Joe was crazy, the economy wasn't good and contributions across the country were down.

In typical Paterno fashion he offered to chair the fund raising himself and it typical Paterno fashion, he won.  They ended up raising just over 1.4 billion dollars. 

So when you read that Penn State offers a man who turns 82 this Sunday, now you know the rest of the story you may not have considered before.

Joe Paterno is so much more than a football coach, and Penn State gets it.  Will there ever be a marriage of a coach and a university like this again?  Perhaps not.  But for Penn State, they're enjoying it for now and for the next three years they continue getting it.