Nike’s Knight defends Paterno at service
January 27, 2012
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP)—Jay Paterno leaned over his dying father, gave hima kiss, and whispered in his ear.
“Dad, you won,” he said. “You did all you could do. You’ve done enough.We all love you. We won. You can go home now.”
Joe Paterno died Sunday of lung cancer at age 85.
In his first public comments since being fired at Penn State two months ago, Joe Paterno said assistant Mike McQueary didn't want to get specific about details in his 2002 allegation involving Jerry Sandusky.
At a memorial service Thursday that drew some 12,000 people to the PennState basketball arena, Jay Paterno reflected on what he called the“magnificent daylight” of his legendary father’s life. It was primarily aglowing tribute to Paterno and his accomplishments during 46 years as PennState’s football coach—but also an opportunity to defend his legacy againstcriticism that he failed to do more when told about an alleged child sexualassault involving one of his former assistants.
Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight won a thunderous standing ovation when hedefended Paterno’s handling of the 2002 allegations against former defensivecoordinator Jerry Sandusky. Paterno, he hinted, had been made a scapegoat.
“If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation andnot in Joe Paterno’s response,” Knight said. Paterno’s widow, Sue, was amongthose rising to their feet.
Capping three days of mourning on campus, the 2 1/2 -hour ceremony was filledwith lavish praise for the man called “JoePa.” Paterno racked up more wins—409—than any other major-college football coach, led his team to two nationalchampionships, and preached “success with honor” while insisting his athletesfocus on academics. The Paternos donated millions to Penn State.
Though the campus and surrounding community have been torn with anger overthe Sandusky scandal and Paterno’s summary dismissal by the board of trusteestwo months before his death, Jay Paterno said his father didn’t hold a grudge.
“Despite all that had happened to him, he never wavered in his belief, inhis dream, of Penn State. He told me he wanted to use his remaining time onearth to see Penn State continue to thrive. He never spoke ill and never wantedanyone to feel badly for him,” Paterno said.
Players from each decade of Paterno’s career as the Nittany Lions’ coachspoke in loving terms about their mentor, saying he rode them hard, but alwayshad their best interests at heart and encouraged them to complete theireducations and become productive members of their communities.
Among the speakers were Michael Robinson, who played for Paterno from 2002to 2005 and flew in from Hawaii, where he was practicing for his first Pro Bowl;star quarterback Todd Blackledge from the 1980s; and Jimmy Cefalo, a star in the1970s. Like Robinson, Blackledge and Cefalo went on to play in the NFL.
Former NFL player Charles V. Pittman, speaking for players from the 1960s,called Paterno a lifelong influence and inspiration.
Pittman said Paterno challenged his young players, once bringing Pittman totears in his sophomore year. He said he realized later that the coach wasmolding him into the man he would become.
“What I now know is that Joe wasn’t trying to build perfection. Thatdoesn’t exist and he knew it. He was, bit by bit, building a habit ofexcellence,” said Pittman, now a media executive on the board of The AssociatedPress.
Paterno was fired Nov. 9 after he was criticized for not going to police in2002 when he was told that Sandusky had been seen sexually assaulting a boy inthe showers. Sandusky was arrested in November and is awaiting trial on chargesthat he molested 10 boys over a 15-year span.
As the scandal erupted, Pennsylvania’s state police commissioner saidPaterno may have met his legal duty but not his moral one. Penn State presidentGraham Spanier was also fired in the fallout.
Knight, appearing about midway through the memorial, became the firstspeaker to explicitly address the scandal. He said the coach “gave fulldisclosure to his superiors, information that went up the chains to the head ofthe campus police and the president of the school. The matter was in the handsof a world-class university, and by a president with an outstanding nationalreputation.”
Lanny J. Davis, an attorney for the board, responded after the service bysaying: “All the reasons for the board’s difficult and anguished decision—made unanimously, including former football players and everyone who still lovesCoach Paterno and his memory—reached a decision which was heartfelt. All 32.”
“The facts speak for themselves” and include the grand jury testimony, hesaid.
Chris Marrone, another former player who eulogized Paterno, said Knight washis “new hero” for expressing the “pent-up frustration” of Paterno’ssupporters.
“I think the response that he got is indicative of how folks feel,”Marrone said.
Only one member of the university administration—the dean of the collegeof liberal arts—and no one from the board of trustees spoke at the memorial,which was arranged primarily by the Paterno family.
People said it felt good to remember and celebrate the good times.
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak, who played for Paterno, said heattended the service “because I’m a part of his legacy.”
“It was not only about football,” Munchak said. “It was about life andhow he affected all of us as men.”
