Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno, 1926 - 2012
Born: 21 December 1926, Brooklyn, New York
Died: 22 January 2011, Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College, Pennsylvania
Paterno went to local schools, playing football at Brooklyn Preparatory School where he caught the eye of comic book publisher Busy Arnold, an alumnus of Brown University. Arnold paid Paterno's tuition at Brown where he played both quarterback and corner back and distinguished himself on defense. Intending to go on to law school, his college football success led coach Rip Engle to ask Paterno to become his assistant when Engle became head coach at Penn State in 1950. Fifteen years later, Paterno took over and started the winningest career in college football. (409-136-3) He met Susan Pohland in the library, they married in 1962 when she graduated. Under Paterno the Penn State football program consistently had one of the best records for academic achievement by players. Early in his career he turned down an offer from the New England Patriots, the only job he ever held was coach at Penn State. He and Sue gave several million dollars to the school and led fund raising efforts, the library where they met has been augmented by a new one with Paterno's name on it. In November of last year, former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested for sexual abuse of children, including at least one case of sodomy in the team's showers. Paterno notified campus officials but did not follow through when the those officials apparently did nothing, but when the story broke nationally he was fired. The same month it was announced that Paterno had lung cancer. Regret over the abuse scandal hurt Paterno badly. Complications related to the cancer required hospitalization on 13 January 2012, death followed nine days later.
Biography from Wikipedia and The New York Times obituary
Joe Paterno quotes:
Quotes found : 31 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 3) 1 2 3 Next
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- A hard-fought, well-fought, hairline-close game is as classical in sports as tragedy in theater. A tragedy usually ends with the stage strewn with bodies from both sides of a struggle, and you can't tell who won and who lost. Victory is contained within defeat, and defeat is contained within victory. That's the way it is in the best of games. What counts in sports is not the victory but the magnificence of the struggle. permalink
Joe Paterno - The New York Times (1989) - Act like you expect to get into the end zone. permalink
Joe Paterno - Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things. permalink
Joe Paterno - Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart, and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks. permalink
Joe Paterno - I didn't know exactly how to handle [the report of Jerry Sandusky's child abuse] and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn't work out that way. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - I got three boys and two girls. It's sickening. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - I had a great bunch of kids. They all hung with us. The coaching staff hung with us. And we played tough every game. If you've got kids that want to play and react to you, it's fun. I'm having a good time. permalink
Joe Paterno - I stayed on the track I wanted to stay on. I don't think I deviated from what I'm all about and what I thought was important. Whether you want to call that a legacy, or whatever you want to call it. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - I still haven't gotten that little something out of my system that I'm still not a kid going to a football game. I'm excited. permalink
Joe Paterno - I wanted to build up, not break down. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - I'm not 31 years old trying to prove something to anybody. I know where I am. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - It's the name on the front of the jersey that matters most, not the one on the back. permalink
Joe Paterno - Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy. permalink
Joe Paterno - My father said about money: 'You have to have some. But you don't have to have all of it. Just be honest with yourself.' permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012) - My thing was play as hard as you can, don't be stupid, pay attention to details, and have enough guts in the clutch that you're not afraid to make a play. permalink
Joe Paterno - The Washington Post interview with Sally Jenkins (14 January 2012)
Quotes found : 31 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 3) 1 2 3 Next
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