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Joe Paterno Sends Posthumous Letter, Calls Jerry Sandusky Scandal “Not A Football Scandal”

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jul 11th, 2012 · 4:33 PM EDT

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via Fight On State: [bold added]

For the last two months, at the request of the Attorney General's office, I have not discussed the specifics of my testimony regarding the pending cases. And while I will continue to honor that request, I do feel compelled to address comments made subsequent to November 9; specifically, I feel compelled to say, in no uncertain terms, that this is not a football scandal.

Let me say that again so I am not misunderstood: regardless of anyone's opinion of my actions or the actions of the handful of administration officials in this matter, the fact is nothing alleged is an indictment of football or evidence that the spectacular collections of accomplishments by dedicated student athletes should be in anyway tarnished.

Yet, over and over again, I have heard Penn State officials decrying the influence of football and have heard such ignorant comments like Penn State will no longer be a “football factory” and we are going to “start” focusing on integrity in athletics. These statements are simply unsupported by the five decades of evidence to the contrary – and succeed only in unfairly besmirching both a great University and the players and alumni of the football program who have given of themselves to help make it great.

 

Pac would be proud.

This morning, the Paterno family mailed this column, said to be written by Joe Paterno in late December and early January, to former Nittany Lion football players. It was obtained by Fight On State. The 700-word essay barely mentions the Jerry Sandusky allegations. Rather, it addresses the nature of the situation, which Paterno calls "not a football scandal."

While he admits that the Attorney General’s office asked him not to discuss specifics of the case, it is troubling to see what now appears to be the most heartfelt statement given by Paterno concerned the legacy of the football program and university, not the massive failure to stop a mad man. I 100% get that caring about those two very separate things are not mutually exclusive, and I also get that this was apparently meant for former players, but, for better or worse, we once again see a Paterno who was seemingly more concerned with his program and university than the awful acts of his long-time right-hand man. He mentions the word “football” 13 times – mostly to point out that the scandal had nothing to do with the sport – and never once even comes close to acknowledging the obvious fact that Sandusky was given access, benefit of the doubt and, really, children almost exclusively because of football. 

If a football coach raping boys in a football locker room of a major D-1 football program isn’t a football scandal, I don’t know what it is. Paterno says many things here that are deserving of mention – specifically, that the accomplishments of former players, students and almost everyone associated with Penn State are not on trial – but pretending the scandal has nothing to do with the “influence of football” is completely wrong.

The timing of the letter’s mailing is curious, and we’re assuming that Paterno’s lawyer or PR guru, Dan McGinn, helped, at least in part, to craft the column. 

Tomorrow, former FBI director Louis Freeh will release his supposedly independent report on what happened at Penn State and the ensuring coverup. There have been leaks and speculation indicating that Paterno knew more than he admitted.  As a result, earlier today, his family released a statement defending his actions.

Freeh's report will shed much more light on what happened at Penn State. For now, though, read Paterno's column in-full after the jump.

 

For the last two months, at the request of the Attorney General's office, I have not discussed the specifics of my testimony regarding the pending cases. And while I will continue to honor that request, I do feel compelled to address comments made subsequent to November 9; specifically, I feel compelled to say, in no uncertain terms, that this is not a football scandal.

Let me say that again so I am not misunderstood: regardless of anyone's opinion of my actions or the actions of the handful of administration officials in this matter, the fact is nothing alleged is an indictment of football or evidence that the spectacular collections of accomplishments by dedicated student athletes should be in anyway tarnished.

Yet, over and over again, I have heard Penn State officials decrying the influence of football and have heard such ignorant comments like Penn State will no longer be a “football factory” and we are going to “start” focusing on integrity in athletics. These statements are simply unsupported by the five decades of evidence to the contrary – and succeed only in unfairly besmirching both a great University and the players and alumni of the football program who have given of themselves to help make it great.

For over 40 years young men have come to Penn State with the idea that they were going to do something different — they were coming to a place where they would be expected to compete at the highest levels of college football and challenged to get a degree. And they succeeded — during the last 45 years NO ONE has won more games while graduating more players. The men who made that commitment and who gave of themselves to help build the national reputation of what was once a regional school deserve better than to have their hard work and sacrifice dismissed as part of a “football factory,” all in the interests of expediency.

Penn State is not a football factory and it is ALREADY a great University. We have world-class researchers, degree programs, and students in every discipline. Penn Staters have been pioneers in medical advancements, engineering, and in the humanities. Our graduates have gone on to change the world — even graduates with football lettermen sweaters.

That is why recent comments are so perplexing and damaging — Penn Staters know we are a world class University. We can recite with pride the ranks of our academic programs and the successes of our graduates. Penn Staters (and employers) know what we are and the quality of our education. Nothing that has been alleged in any way implicates that reputation; rather, it is only the inexplicable comments of our own administration doing so.

It must stop. This is not a football scandal and should not be treated as one. It is not an academic scandal and does not in any way tarnish the hard earned and well-deserved academic reputation of Penn State. That Penn State officials would suggest otherwise is a disservice to every one of the over 500,000 living alumni.

Forget my career in terms of my accomplishments and look at the last 40 years as I do: as the aggregate achievements of hundreds of young men working to become better people as they got an education and became better football players. Look at those men and what they have done in the world since they left Penn State and assess their contributions as an aggregate – is this a collection of jocks who did nothing but skate by at a football factory, or are these men who earned an education and built a reputation second to none as a place where academic integrity and gridiron success could thrive together?

Whatever failings that may have happened at Penn State, whatever conclusions about my or others' conduct you may wish to draw from a fair view of the allegations, it is inarguable that these actions had nothing to do with this last team or any of the hundreds of prior graduates of the “Grand Experiment.”

Penn Staters across the globe should feel no shame in saying “We are…Penn State.” This is a great University with one of the best academic performing football programs in major college athletics. Those are facts — and nothing that has been alleged changes them.