And so he leaves us with a peaceful mind, comforted by his living legacy of five kids, 17 grandchildren, and hundreds of young men whose lives he changed in more ways than can begin to be counted. When McGinn arrived at the house, the Paterno family and friends were almost physically holding Joe back from giving a press conference right then and there. Paterno died Sunday of complications from lung cancer. Jerry Sandusky scandal engulfed the campus and the nation, announced that its punishment of Penn State, PATERNO PRAISED FOR ACTING APPROPRIATELY IN REPORTING JERRY SANDUSKY SEX ABUSE SUSPICIONS, interoffice e-mails suggest Paterno had been told more, the press conference had been canceled by order of the board, videotaped overturning a television truck, "rioting over the firing of a child-molester enabler. The reporters who knew Paterno best understood that this press conference was going to be a fiasco of the highest order. In December, Penn State won the Academic Bowl for scholastic excellence among the best football programs in the nation. He had worked with Coca-Cola, Texaco, and General Motors. A living trust is also useful if you own real estate in a state that is not your primary residence. How could it be worse? "It began in 2004," he whispered, referring to an old clash Paterno had with Spanier. Students gathered in front of Paternos house, and Joe and Sue came out briefly, he in a gray sweatshirt, she in a red bathrobe. He also played for State College Area High School. He coached his way to glory as his team won the 1982 national championship and then repeated the feat in 1986. Later Ganter would tell friends he did not know what was written on it. "Dad," he asked his father again, "did you know anything about Sandusky? In writing my book, Estate Planning Smarts, I mined court files, retrieving the wills of Peter Jennings, the ABC News anchorman, and the actor Heath Ledger, among others. Are you kidding? Those closest to Paterno believed that when he went public with what he knew and what he did, most people would understand he was fooled like everyone else. January 24, 2012 / 10:45 AM How in the world can a man raype boys and not be hom,o,s,e,xual? Maybe they won't. Joseph Vincent Paterno (December 21, 1926 - January 22, 2012) was an American college football player, athletic director, and coach. Healthy children. When "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose asked Paterno's children, Jay Paterno and Mary Kay Paterno-Hort, what their father's legacy will be, Jay Paterno said it will be his family and his players. . As coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators. Each of these could lead to a dozen other questions. On December 7, 2011, the number of victims increased to 10. To his children and grandchildren he is a shining example of how to live a good, decent and honest life, a standard to which we aspire. As it happens, Joe Paterno had a very garden-variety will. Jerry Sandusky resentenced to same prison term. Maybe they will judge me by what I tried to do. When the Freeh report was released last July (2012), I was as shocked as anyone by the findings and by Mr. Freehs extraordinary attack on Joes character and integrity. He objected that he already knew what was in there, but they told him there was no room left for illusion. [7], In October 2013, several outlets reported that Paterno was considering running as a Democrat in Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district, which is based in State College. But they have not backed down from it despite immense pressure, horrific criticism and seemingly impossible odds. McGinn made a couple of quick assessments: First, Paterno was in no shape to speak to the media; with the atmosphere this toxic, anything he said would make the situation much worse. ", The attorney general of Pennsylvania, Linda Kelly, had been in office for only a few months. 2023 Cable News Network. The book details Paterno's struggle with lung cancer from November 2011 through January 2012, when he died. Weve still got things to do. "You know, really he was very focused on the next chapter in his life. Christopher Craig Hort, 53, who is mar 5. Around the corner from Paternoville, journalists were camping out for front-row seats to the biggest press conference the school had ever had. _Paterno is referring here to the 2001 sexual assault by Sandusky on an adolescent boy at a Penn State athletic facility, an incident that was witnessed by a graduate coaching assistant named Mike McQueary, who subsequently alerted Paterno about what hed seen. He would sometimes tell people, "Hey, dont kid yourself, Im the asshole of the family." filed a motion in Centre County Court to unseal the will, Same-Sex Couples Face A Raft Of Planning Issues, How I Became The Straight Lady For Gay Marriage, Joe Paternos House Transfer Was A Dumb Tax Move, Estate Planning Smarts: A Practical, User-Friendly, Action-Oriented Guide. The new, 400-plus page tome covers Paterno's life before the scandal, though its main focus shifts to the fallout from Sandusky in the latter half of the book. Joe attended Brooklyn Preparatory School, and graduated in the year 1944. About an hour before the scheduled time, a university representative called DElia and said the press conference had been canceled by order of the board. Well go from here, okay? He had a regularly scheduled Tuesday press conference, and when he got home he prepared what he would say. It doesn't matter if he was into huge ga ng bngs, 10 guys, 1 girl.. Are you trying to say it makes it worse? "They think you are!" On Sunday, Guido DElia, a close family adviser, returned from an out-of-town trip and went to the Paternos home. Joe Paterno, 1926-2012 25 photos . Sue Paterno also criticized the Freeh reports depiction of her husband. When Paternos name came up, she was clear about his meeting his legal responsibility.5, However, the question had shifted: It was no longer about Paternos meeting his legal responsibility; it was, as one Paterno family member bitterly called it, "the Joe Paterno morality clause." That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno (born December 21, 1926) is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 through November 9, 2011. "He had one bad day. Thank you! Television cameras surrounded the Paterno house on McKee Street. 'Study, all right?' It was outside his modest home in. And he just wasn't as involved as he used to be,'" the book reads. Paterno co-authored a book titled We Are Penn State, along with his wife Suzanne. Later he would tell friends and family that he knew, even then, that this would be his last year as a coach. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The crying was over. The 2011 season was an odd one even before the tragic ending. Ad Choices, His final season began with winslots of themand for a while it seemed as if he might retire at the top of his sport, an unblemished icon. Nebraska was the next game. Maybe if he killed somebody.. A beautiful and caring wife. After the press conference ended, Noonan made his way out to the reporters. RIP JoePa. I just saw on the news that the Westboro Baptist is going to show and and protest at his funeral. The Paternos decided to release a statement. New biography shows Joe Paterno as Sandusky scandal engulfs Penn State. He already had the record for Division I-A so this wasnt exactly a record. "'I had to do everything I could to not cry right then,' Scott recalled.". . Aug. 21, 2012— -- Long before Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse crimes led to Joe Paterno's downfall, the two Penn State coaches "despised each other," according to a new biography of Paterno. Whether probate is costly or burdensome will depend on the state. Both a will and a living trust can be used to transfer assets, but each has unique uses. This afforded Posnanski access to Paterno and his inner circle as the Jerry Sandusky scandal engulfed the campus and the nation. I just hope there is justice for the victims.'". Early life. In their press release, the family described it as "treatable." Joes wife, Sue, said she called a couple of trustees. "Look, Penn State and Joe Paterno will be intertwined forever," Jay Paterno said. On January 22, 2012, Joe Paterno breathed his last. When Brandon asked, "How are you doing, Coach?" An exclusive excerpt from a new biography, Your GQ-Approved Essential Spring Menswear Shopping List, The Best New Menswear Items Under $100 to Buy Right Now, 35 Alarmingly Good Watch Deals to Upgrade Your Wrist, Donna Kelce Tells Us the Story Behind Her Half-Eagles, Half-Chiefs Jersey, Brooklyn Nets Sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe Is Thriving on the NBA's Most Chaotic Team. After Sandusky was arrested in November 2011 on child sex abuse charges, the university fired Paterno and funded a review of the Sandusky scandal led by former FBI director Louis Freeh. On Thursday, though, he cried continually. Paternos funeral, which was held on January 25, 2012, was attended by thousands of mourners. Scott Paterno told his mother, "I think you need to brace yourself. Family and friends play-acted as reporters and fired questions at him: Did you know about 1998? Four days later, on June 14, just as The Citizens Voice filed a motion in Centre County Court to unseal the will, the family made both Paternos 1997 will and the 2010 amendment, known as a codicil, available. The two got married in 1962 and were blessed with five children, namely Diana, Joseph Jr., Mary, Scott, and David. In addition to his wife and his son Joseph Jr., known as Jay, Paterno is survived by his sons David and Scott; his daughters, Diana Giegerich and Mary Kathryn Hort; and many grandchildren.. According to the Freeh report, however, and possibly in contradiction to his sworn grand jury testimony of January 2011, Paterno appears to have known about a 1998 police investigation into another incident involving Sandusky; no charges were flled in that case. Paterno shouted. You guys get to the bottom of that? A riot broke out, several students were videotaped overturning a television truck, more than thirty-five people were charged. This man Sandusky was a monster. But the only eyebrow raiser about his will is why his family tried to hide it. He had not felt well for a few weeks, but he would not have gone to see the doctor had he still been coaching. In February 1966, Rip Engle announced his retirement, following which Paterno was appointed as the new head coach of the team. "It will be a living funeral," one reporter predicted, echoing words Paterno had used through the years. "It was like a transformation," Mary Kay said. "It probably shouldnt be this way," one told me. "I think there's never been a question that he's always believed he's done the right thing and I think that will come shining through as we go forward.". In every life, there have to be some shadows. ", "Dad, this is really important. If Paterno knew about '98, then he wasn't some aging granddad who was deceived, but a canny and unfeeling power broker who put protecting his reputation ahead of protecting children. Plus, this is a blog, not a sentiments for the dead site. Paterno is survived by wife Sue Paterno, children Diana, Joseph Jr. "Jay", Mary Kay, David and Scott, and 17 grandchildren - and, his family said, "hundreds of young men whose lives he. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 2. [citation needed], Since his father's death and his dismissal, Paterno has written several guest columns. Nobody knew it then, but that was the last game Joe Paterno would coach. When we are, let us admit it and try to right the situation. [Family adviser Guido] D'Elia would remember telling him, 'You realize that the people out there think you knew about this? Is that another catch-phrase for "I don't agree with anyone but my own opinion"? Journalists began to line up outside the football stadium three hours before the press conference on Tuesday morning. Post his death tributes were poured in from many prominent leaders from across the States. This wasnt surprising; Scott tended to be the most realisticor cynical, depending on who you askedin the family. It's time to truly honor Joe Paterno. Family members remembered looking out the window and seeing their neighbor raking autumn leaves in between the legs of camera tripods. In July of 2012, the NCAA imposed on Penn State some of the most severe penalties ever, including a $60 million fine. When he decided to forego a career in law and make coaching his vocation, his father Angelo had but one command: make an impact. (See my post, Mike Wallace Death Underlines Need To Prepare Financially For Risk Of Dementia.). I saw no reports on him having forced s,e,x with girls. 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