STATE COLLEGE —
Happy Valley will never be the same.
The passing of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno sent shock waves through the State College community on Sunday morning. After all, Paterno was Penn State. He coached there for 62 years, 46 as the head football coach of his beloved Nittany Lions.
During that time, he captured a pair of national championships. He endured several losing seasons but rallied to recapture some of the glory he enjoyed during the early years.
In the end, though, Paterno was fired by the university’s Board of Trustees on Nov. 9. A phone call ended his illustrious career. While he survived losing seasons, a child sex abuse scandal simply proved to be too much.
I had the pleasure of covering the Nittany Lions from 2004 until 2009. During that period I saw Paterno at his worst (a 4-7 season in ’04) and his best (an 11-1 season in ’05).
As a reporter, I found JoePa somewhat difficult to cover.
Practices were closed, which meant information was hard to come by. That’s never easy, especially when a rabid fan base clamors for information on a daily basis.
Fans: Paterno died of a broken heart
Icon left mark on region
During my time on the beat, I attended nearly every Tuesday news conference. I knew Paterno wouldn’t say much, but every once and awhile he would start telling tales of days gone by. On one such Tuesday, we were making our way into the news conference when Paterno pulled up right next to the stadium in his signature BMW. He waved to us and a fan approached him with a football, hoping to get an autograph.
As we opened the door to the media room, we heard a thud and looked back, only to see the legendary coach flat on his back. He had tripped trying to hop over a small chain-link fence.
We raced to help JoePa to his feet. His blazer was covered in dirt and leaves. As we brushed him off, he joked that he “wasn’t as spry” as he used to be. Despite his dislike for the media, he thanked us and made his way into the news conference. No one was the wiser.
Although we helped him that day, it didn’t stop him from being critical. At a university function, he once pointed a bony finger in my face and called me “the dumb one,” for writing a critical column.
In the end though, Paterno touched many lives. There are the fans who watched him, the players who played for him and the media who covered him. He gave back to the community and the university, donating millions to Penn State. Even after his firing, he continued to give.
The end came just a couple of months after his firing. No one could have predicted such a sad ending to such a storied career.
His legacy is certainly tarnished by the scandal that ended his career. However, he was a good man.
For those of us who had an opportunity to meet him, we’re better because of it.
Chris Morelli is the sports editor of The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter.
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