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Penn State football coach JOE PATERNO died yesterday morning of lung cancer. He was 85 years old.
--Paterno's family issued a statement saying, quote, "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.
--"He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been.
--"His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."
--Paterno is survived by his wife SUE, five children and 17 grandchildren.
--Paterno spent 61 years coaching the Nittany Lions . . . the first 15 as an assistant and the last 46 as head coach. With 409 victories, he's the winningest coach in major college football. He led the Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships.
--Paterno's players consistently had among the highest graduation rates of the major football programs . . . and 250 of them went on to play in the NFL.
--Unfortunately for Paterno, his legacy was overshadowed by the scandal that enveloped the last months of his life.
--In November of this year, Paterno offered to resign following the arrest of his former defensive coordinator JERRY SANDUSKY . . . who was accused of molesting several young boys.
--That night, however, the Penn State board of trustees fired Paterno and then-university president GRAHAM SPANIER, effective immediately. Later that month, Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer . . . although his family said it was treatable.
--At the time of his death, he'd been in the hospital for about a week due to complications.
--New Penn State President Rodney Erickson called Paterno, quote, "a great man who made us a greater university." He added that the school plans to honor him for his contributions.
--Paterno will be replaced next season by BILL O'BRIEN, who is currently the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
--Paterno was never accused of wrongdoing, but an assistant told him he'd witnessed Sandusky molesting a boy in the showers at the Penn State football complex in 2002. And questions about whether Paterno did enough continued to dog him.
--His family had asked that there be no public gathering in front of the modest home Joe shared with his wife in State College, Pennsylvania. Instead, people gathered at the Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium.
--His family had asked that there be no public gathering in front of the modest home Joe shared with his wife in State College, Pennsylvania. Instead, people gathered at the Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium.
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